


BironTale: A New Undertale Fanfic!

by NasranSalleh



Category: Deltarune (Video Game), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Undertale Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bitterness, Canonical Character Death, Character of Faith, Crisis of Faith, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Evil Plans, Gen, Having Faith, Heartache, Identity Issues, Identity Reveal, Magical Artifacts, Mild Gore, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Other, References to Undertale Genocide Route, Self-Destruction, Spoilers - Undertale Pacifist Route, Undertale Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-08-03 11:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 37,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16325153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NasranSalleh/pseuds/NasranSalleh
Summary: A boy entered a cave and fell. From there, he must find his way back home, at the same time overcoming the glaring obstacles in his path.





	1. Determination

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [New Game](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7715089) by [Daricio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daricio/pseuds/Daricio). 



I could hear my old man and mom; their footsteps non-stop inside the beloved wooden home. I could also hear Little Sis's cries over her lost toy kitten with strange fur. While they were all running errands, I lay on my bed without a care in the world.

As I turned around in my comfy mattress, I felt a pull on my blanket. At first, it was a weak pull, but it got stronger the second time.

"Son, it is 9 in the morning," my old man said. "Please wake up!"

Feeling groggy, I wanted to continue sleeping, but the old man beat my shoulder up several times. Thus, I got up anyway. Instant shower and breakfast followed. I began the day at 10.

It was a beautiful morning. The birds were singing, flowers blooming, and children happily playing in the playground. Little Mittens chased a frog, while the doppelganger looked at me with its cute eyes.  _What a charmed little creature._

In the dated TV set, the weatherman reported of seasonable weather. I feared the raging shots from the sky, for it could potentially jeopardize my plans.

Regardless, I contacted a trusted friend, Mr. Raju, who arrived in the nick of time. How he did it remained a mystery.

"Good morning, kid," Raju greeted me.

"Good morning to you, too," I replied.

"Off to where?"

"Mount Ebott, please."

Raju's eyebrows raised. "Mount Ebott?"

"Yeah. I could do with some fresh air up there."

................................................................................................................................................................

The taxi arrived at Mount Ebott. All in all, it took 30 minutes, but no matter, because Raju was one who would put his money where his mouth is, and never slack off for the sake of his reputation in his company.

"Thanks," I said as I shook his hand.

"You're most welcome," he replied with his usual grin; his mustache resembled a smile, too.

It was an exciting moment, for I had never reached Mount Ebott before. No one in my family ever did, so it could count as a historic moment. Either way, I was overjoyed.

I saw a cave in the mountain, and it as if cried out to anyone to enter and explore its mysteries. From afar, it definitely looked mysterious; just what I needed because I love adventure.

I carefully set foot into the cave. I had to be extra careful at the same time; who knows what could pop up out of nowhere and attack? I was also eager to find some hidden stuff, for places like these usually house treasure.

Legends also said that those who climbed up the mountain, never returned.

I did not care, for I was overwhelmed with enthusiasm and bravery. As a matter of fact, I was already a few inches into the cave.

Thin, long vines touched my shoestrings, nearly ripping it open. I lost my balance, and fell to a hole in the middle of the cave.

I screamed but to no avail.

There was no one to rescue me; I had the impression my bones would break once I make contact with the ground; my brain would shatter; blood would spill out like three gallons of spilled milk.

Eyes closed; anticipating the worst as I quickly make my descent to the core of the earth.

**Oh no! What's going to happen next???**


	2. Flowey

Eyes opened.

The hands remain solid; the legs were fine. Blood did not spill. A bouquet of yellow flowers rested underneath my body.

_The flowers kept me alive. Wow!_

The fall was already an adventure in itself. I thought it would be better to go home now. The problem was, I fell deep under, and could be stuck for a while.

"Hello?" I screamed. "Is anybody up there? I am down here! Hello?!"

My screams were all to no avail. It seemed nobody was, understandably, eager to venture the uncharted territories of Mount Ebott.

Suddenly, the legend made more sense.

I sat beside the flowers, my only company at the time, pondering my fate. After much thought, I stood up.

In spite of all, I cared little about the legend, for I was determined to make my way home.

The underground felt strange, dark, gloomy; unsurprisingly creepy. I only walked a few meters and an arch stood before me, as if inviting me past.

The second, or maybe the third, thing I spotted was a flower. A single, gender-unspecified flower with a sweet face.

"Howdy!" the flower greeted me. "My name is Flowey! Flowey the Flower!"

I wondered if the flower was actually a cowboy in disguise.

I pretended to be all right. "Hi! My name is Biron."

"Howdy, Biron!" Flowey exclaimed. "You're new to the Underground, aren't 'cha?"

I nodded.

"Someone ought to teach you how things work around here. I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!"

"Go on."

"LOVE makes the world go round. You want some LOVE, don't you?"

"Anything that keeps me alive and well."

"Why, LOVE can do more than that, pardner!"

I nodded. "Fine. Give me some  _love_ , then."

The anthropomorphic flower went on. "Here, love is shared through...little white friendliness pellets."

The 'friendliness pellets' formed a circle around Flowey.

"Here, take these!"

I grabbed one, but soon, I felt a rush. The body felt shockwaves. I lit up. Down I went on my knees, trying to nurse my heart that pumped like a car on its highest rev.

"Hey! What is that for?"

No longer did the face resemble an innocent-looking grin with small eyes. Instead, it morphed into something out of a nightmare.

Flowey giggled. "You idiot. In this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED! Now, DIE!"

The pellets were coming to me. I was crippled by the long vines.

Suddenly, the pellets disappeared. Flower looked confused.

"Wha...what happened? Where are my pellets?"

A fireball came crashing towards the flower, pushing him out of contention. The vines disintegrated as well. Thank God.

A mysteriously enchanting and beautiful goat lady glanced at my weak human flesh.

"What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth..."

I was speechless.

"Ah, do not be afraid, my child!" the goat lady said to me with a warm smile. "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins!"

"Mrs. Toriel..."

"Please, call me Toriel."

"Okay...Toriel," I asked again, "what are you doing here?"

"I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down."

"I see."

"You are the first to have fallen down here in a long, long time, my child. Come!"

I was wondering where she would take me, but she seemed all right, so far...

**So far, so good for our lone ranger. But how will he adapt? What will be his fate at the hands of the goat lady?**


	3. Toriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist survived his first deadly assault on his life. He was saved by a charming figure. What next? Go on and read to find out :D 

There was something peculiar regarding the lady named Toriel.

As if the events that transpired around me were not peculiar enough; I could feel something when I held on to Toriel's large, fluffy hands.

Her demeanor was a pleasant one. The traits spoke for themselves; it is not easy to find a random stranger who would treat you that way, especially not on the surface world.

Still, she held on to my hand, for reasons yet clear to me. Her insistence to call me her 'child' was unrealistic, perhaps even ludicrous, but I refused to interrupt.

At one point, she did ask about me.

"My child," she uttered. "What may your name be?"

"I am Biron," I replied with a smile as I rubbed off sweat.

Toriel giggled. "That is a wonderful name, my child."

She gripped my left hand tightly as we patrolled what is called The Ruins, an otherworldly area decorated by purple bricks and colorful leaves; perhaps remnants of a glorious kingdom of the past. Countless stories were told regarding kingdoms and empires that sank without trace, but never had I set foot on a single site. 

However, my most recent discovery presented itself as a potential breakthrough.

I encountered frogs and flies, whom are all described as Monsters. They meant no harm, even though some stared down my soul with eagle eyes; my discomfort of roaming foreign territory, or just a  natural reaction to change.

"I want to know, Toriel."

She turned to me with a warm smile; her exposed upper teeth became more prominent, somewhat making her look increasingly adorable. "What is it, my child?"

"Where are you taking me exactly?"

Toriel's smile remained. "Home."

"Home?"

"Yes, my child. Home. It is where you belong."

A charmed beauty she is. Somehow, she reminded me of my own mother, who would be worried sick had she kept in touch with my shenanigans. 

**The protagonist is going to Toriel's home. Is this a good thing, or could it bring up a different issue altogether? Stay tuned, guys and girls!**


	4. Toriel's House

Hours passed since I fell into the Underground.

Not minutes, not seconds.

 _Hours_.

I rested on a dated wooden chair, looking at the clock which showed the time as 6.00 pm. It came as a surprise, but also great relief - the Monsters followed a clock system similar to the humans.

 _Perfect,_  I thought.  _No need to change anything on my watch, then._

Toriel safely transported us back to her home. From afar, it represented itself as a wonderful house, of clay and wattles made; a pleasant sight for my young eyes.

Since the pavements were mostly purple in the Ruins, I anticipated purple floors in Toriel's home, but the tiles were light brown. It reminded me of my own home.

Toriel stood beside me, her hands rested between her hips. "Do you smell that?"

 _Indeed_. A smell so delightful I could not help but wonder where it came from.

"It's cinnamon-butterscotch pie!" Toriel uttered enthusiastically. "I baked it just for you, my child."

I was out of words. "Thanks,"  I stuttered.

"However, before that, I want you to follow me."

I did as ordered.

"This, is your room. It is not much, but I hope you like it, dear."

She caressed my head. Then, she retreated to the kitchen, presumably to prepare the nice-smelling pie for dinner.

I did not know why, but I felt love; a mother's love for her child, from her touch, to the way she opened herself up for me, to her wonderful smile. It was all too much to bear; a hospitality more than I ever hoped for.

While she was occupied with the food, I went inside the room to take a nap in the small but comfortable bed. I was reasonably tired; too tired to continue on my way out.

......................................................................

I woke up at 6.00 a.m. The ceiling presented itself in all its glory when I opened my eyes, but the captivating aroma from the day before remained. Apparently, Toriel put a slice of her special pie on the floor of my room.

Toriel opened the door. "Greetings, my child."

I yawned like the child I was. "Greetings, Mom."

Mom. I just called her  _Mom_ unintentionally. _  
_

Toriel's eyes widened. She looked shocked. "Did you just call me...Mom?"

She followed with a giggle. "Very well...You can call me whatever you want, as long as it satisfies you."

She pet and kissed my forehead before leaving.

Warm was my heart. That she prepared a slice of pie with love touched me in ways I could never imagine. The aroma of the pie still intact to the moment I closed my eyes to sleep. 

It felt like home...sometimes even better.


	5. The Escape

Toriel had her nose buried under a book titled 'General Education for Dummies'. 

I got busy, too. The room was not going to clean itself. As I moved along, I opened the cupboard. The cupboard was filled with striped shirts of many colors. The shirts were of various sizes, too.  To whom they belonged, I had no clue.

There were also children jeans and shorts, but I was intrigued by a long-sleeved black shirt with bright red stripes on the torso. Looked like a piece of art, so I put them on. Not that Toriel would mind.

Sliced bread and lime juice prepared on the table; I took a seat and dined. Toriel was, at this stage, preoccupied with ways to educate the masses.

"Toriel."

"Yes, my child?"

She took the time to compliment my choice of clothing, but I wanted to know something else.

"Why are you reading a General Education book?"

Toriel smiled. "This is a very good book. It's informative!"

"Mm, hmm...," I mumbled.

Toriel continued, "Why, to tell you the truth, I always wanted to be a teacher."

I nodded.

"Actually," Toriel said, "I STILL want to be a teacher."

Her eyes got smaller and her smile disappeared, albeit temporarily.

"Well," Toriel sighed, "enough about me. What about you, my child? What do you wish to become when you grow up?"

A tough question but an important one, especially because I had only a few years before deciding whether or not to enter vocational college.

"I..." I scratched my head. "I want to become a successful wizard!"

Toriel laughed out loud. "You silly little beauty! But, please, what do you really intend to become when you grow up?"

She got me thinking a lot. Not many could do that.

"To be honest...I want to become a...computer programmer!"

That was the closest answer I could give. I do love computers, although never tried writing a single line of code. My interest was more towards the maintenance and upgrading stuff, making sure the PC at home works like a stallion instead of a turtle.

Toriel nodded. "Good choice, dear! I'm proud of you! I hope you will do well pursuing your dreams."

I grinned and gave a nod of approval.

The clock ticked away. Morning turned to evening. While all was good at Toriel's, I could not help but feel sorry for my parents. Pretty sure they would assume I went missing. The police should have been informed by now, so they would be on the lookout for me.

However, it came as a big question mark whether they would find me in the depths of the Underground. Especially since I ventured deeper and deeper into the Ruins.

It was night time. I could use some fresh air, so a visit to a certain rooftop was very much appreciated. The dated, partially demolished and destroyed castles dotted the area beneath me. 

Little to no Monsters were seen, except for an ageing anthropomorphic frog dressed in a fine little tuxedo, who looked lime having a good time. The frog reminded me to keep watch on Toriel, but in a good way.

The focus on the Ruins below; I gathered my thoughts. It was now or never. Not a time to waste anymore.  
"Time to make my move."

I stormed back into Toriel's home, and saw here standing in front of her bookshelf, as usual with her warmth.

"My child..."

I made my intentions clear. "How can I go home?"

Toriel looked puzzled. "I do not understand you. This is your home, is it not?"

I retorted. "How can I go home, up there?"

The intent was clear enough, that Toriel shrugged. Her smile transformed into a frown. It was as if she felt distressed and disturbed. What, I wonder? Why does she react that way? I only asked one question.

"I will be right back," she told me before walking speedily to the basement.  
I may have crossed the line.

...

"Here lies the exit of the Ruins," Toriel said.

"Interesting," I replied.

She kneeled so she could look straight to me. She held my hands.  
"My child," she said, "many have come before you. They are all very good children." Her eyes told of fear and despair. "I have seen them all. They come. They leave. And then..."

"And then," I asked, "what, Toriel?"

Toriel wept. "They die."

At that moment, doubts circled my mind. Questions started to be asked. Regardless, Toriel had more to say.

"My child...I have no choice, but to end the bloodshed...I need to destroy the exit."

"What?"

"Do you not see, my child? I do not want this. I do not wish for this! I cannot bear seeing another precious soul get hurt or tortured or even corrupted and later taken away from me. The children before you were all precious to me. They still are."

"But, Toriel, I also have a family to take care of. I am pretty sure they are worried sick..."

She let go of my hand.

Toriel was overcome with sadness, tears rolling down her beautiful eyes. She muttered, "Oh, my child" ...you will leave me, and you will die. I do not wish for this. Please, let me protect you. Go back to your room."

So, there were humans who fell down here before me. A bombshell was dropped. A mystery partly solved.

"NO!" I stated. "I want to go home!"

Toriel covered her eyes with her long hands. "Very well, then..."

Sparkles of flame lit up, out of nowhere, floating just above her palms.

She stood tall; her face resembling a menacing monster who just got out of her cage.

"Prove me wrong, child!" Toriel exclaimed. "Prove to me you are strong enough to survive!"

Toriel summoned her flaming fireballs to my path. The fireballs were rapid, I had to really brace the heat to get away, literally. After a few strikes, she kept coming. More of them came my way.

Soon, I got hit. Part of my arm fell victom to the flaming wreck. It was not paralyzed, but I knew I had to be more careful.

She stopped.

"Toriel, please!" I screamed. "I do not want to fight you."

"I do not want to fight you, too, my child. However, I have to do what is best..."

"So, killing me will solve everything? Is that what you want?"

"I do NOT want to see you die!"

Her attacks become stronger. She yelled her heart out and I could also hear a unique battle cry, something never heard before.

"YAAAGGGHHHH!"

I ducked and sprinted as much as I could with the little space I have to manouevre. Either luck, or the fact that I took weekly exercises, which helpes me become more flexible in a way, thus allowing me to do things like transition from duck to run or sprint in a split second.

Like drinks, luck runs out. And so it appeared.

The fire hit my right hand, hard. It was too much to bear, thus I trembled to the ground. I cried out for help, but there was no one in sight. Toriel was gasping; she may be tired after all that, but she was closing in on me.

I felt it was the end. Toriel was going to say I was not strong enough. She coild just as well finish me.

But that did not happen.

"Oh, my child..." she struggled to recover me.

"What have I done? I was supposed to protect you, but instead I hurt you." She was crying again.

"It...is all right," I stuttered. "I am not dead..."

...

Toriel got me up on my feet. My hand was bandaged, and then we were at the basement again, this time in front of a large door.

"This is it, my child," she said. "I am sorry that is has to be this way..."

"Do not be sorry," I replied. "I understand how you feel, but I hope you realize that I have needs, too, and I want you to appreciate that."

Toriel nodded.

"So, err...have I proven myself?"

Toriel nodded again. "Yes, you have."

The smile was back on her face.

"While on your way, please do not forget me, child. Do not hesitate to call."

"I will."

"Oh, how I am going to miss you..."

Toriel hugged my frail body. I hugged her back. I felt something watery in my eye.

"I will miss you, too," I said. "Mom."

Toriel chuckled. "Be a good child, okay?"

I waved goodbye to her. Then, I opened the door to walk away...  
  



	6. The Confrontation

The enjoyment was paramount; the cooking satisfactory; the children a bunch of candy in a candy jar, where each is of different color and taste.

Perhaps the collection of sweets is a fitting resemblance to all encounters in life as well, not just people. The bittersweet moments I embraced back in the Ruins were put in the shade; I shed a tear as I left a lovely woman who took good care of me for the past few days.

The feet continued to walk while I regained my conscience. In front of me was darkness in all its horrifying, vicious glory.

Flowey took the time to pile up on my misery; he was one who would love to take advantage at any given situation.

When I looked at Flowey with his menacing grin, I could not help myself. The pain, the anger, the fury; I already knew who he was. Only this time m, I would not let him play me. No one - not even a spineless, heartless, miserable creature - plays me.

The flower grinned. "Cleeverrr."  
  
My head was tilted up and I stared angrily at him. "Happy now?"   
  
"You get to play by your own rules," Flowey continued. "It's been a while since I saw such incredible feat. Let me think...oh wait, I know how that went!"  
  
"I know you now, freak..."  
  
"So you know what happens when you play by your own rules, boy? They are KILLED! Ahahahahah!"  
  
"I am certain you did this."  
  
"Biron, Biron," his tone sounded  more sinister in nature. "Many have came before you. The ballet dancer, the nerd, the black hero, the Western cowboy, and they all met the same fate, just because they did not listen to me!"  
  
I grabbed the flower by its bottom. Had it been up to me, it would have been ripped off the ground. "You LISTEN here, Flowey! I do not care about your rules, and I certainly am not as weak as you think!"  
  
Flowey shook in my hands. "B...but...let me go...!"  
  
"I could destroy you now, but for whatever reason you tricked me. I thought you were there to help, but you opened my eyes."  
  
Flowey unleashed some spikes which injured my hand; blood spurted out. I grimaced in pain as I nursed my hand.  
  
"Yes, I did. And I enjoy it. I enjoy causing hurt to those who do not play by my rules. You will suffer down here, kiddo, and there is NO ONE to truly help you..."  
  
"Shut up!" I exclaimed. "That woman behind the door...she loved me with all my heart. She was nothing like you! We come in different shapes and sizes, not all are alike! I wish you would understand, but..."  
  
Flowey's eyes rolled. "Oh yeah? W...well...you stink and you are probably going to die upon entering the next area. It's so cold and dark, it will freeze your heart. Plus, the Royal Guards take no prisoners if they spot you. Hehehe..."  
  
"Whoever it is, I am here for one thing, and one thing only. And your relevance in that part is zero. We are through, and the next time I see you, I am going to END you!"  
  
Flowey giggled. "Oh, Biron...do you not know my power? Do you not see it? Do you not feel it? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF DOING?!"  
  
NOW?!"  
  
Flowey had me wrapped in his vines again. This time, his height extended a meter and he looked increasingly vile, like a spooky tree in a spooky forest.  
  
He could not stop chuckling. He finally did when he said, "Perhaps I wasted my time long enough talking to a useless scum like you."  
  
"Let...go of me...you double-crossing...son of a..."  
  
The grip tightened around my stomach and even got my neck. A horrendous struggle it was becoming. I could smell death.  
  
"You know, I should have just killed you when I found you back in the Ruins, and then take your damned soul with me! Too bad you are a stubborn kid who cried to mommy Toriel, 'Waaahhh! That flower bit me!' and she is always so helpful and caring, 'Oh, my baby, are you okay? Let me help' Oh, it's so laughable!"  
  
I could still move my hands, but not by a long stretch. "What...is...your... problem?"  
  
"Oh, I do not have a problem. It's just that...IT'S KILL OR BE KILLED!"  
  
Flowey burst out laughing like a maniac; he was also summoning some sort of weapon from his large petals. It looked a terrifying, hideous object but was pulling me closer into it as I looked at it.  
  
I found the toy knife. It was do or die. With all the strength I could muster, I cut a portion of the vines and made a run for it. Flowey groaned in pain.  
  
"Useless moron!" he exclaimed. "I will get you next time!"  
  
I left through a door, and reached a forest so dark it reminded me of my earlier thoughts about monster trees.  I never knew whether or not monster trees do exist down there, but my fingers were crossed. Anything could happen at that moment.  
  
I walked carefully along the only path I could find. The singing of birds and bats surrounded the forest.  Screeches emanated from a nearby bush, but the mind was bothered with getting out safely, that there was no urgency to check.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. The Skeleton Brothers

Time is a strange thing.

Time moved slow, like a turtle moving its shell off the sea shore when I came across things that were of little relevance or importance. But then, time proved to be dynamic, for the clock ticked like a sprinter circling an oval with all his might, whenever I met like-minded people, play my favorite games, and do things that make me happy and content.

For the most part, time itself helped heal my past wounds, literally. My hand stopped bleeding.   
Still, I wrapped it as precaution.

The walk was not going to end till I arrive at my real home. Thus, the journey continued.The thick, dense forest, covered in snow. The eyes - wearing by the minute - struggled to adjust to the sight of the wood and branches. It was only through a minor blink, that it came to light the existence of a bridge of wood.

A peculiar bridge it was, for there were wooden fences in between that presumably were meant to restrict movement. I assumed the bridge was a transit area, where Monsters would be checked before being let through.

No one was guarding the bridge, and the second time I noticed, the huge gap between the wooden poles made it child's play to trespass.

_Splendid_ , I thought.

The feet marched forward at a faster pace to cross the bridge. The eyes were locked to the front, that it lost sight of a misplaced branch. I trembled and landed on my face.

I attempted to get up. That was when I heard footsteps which unsurprisingly sent chills down my spine. The singing of the birds halted; the swish of waters remained the way it was.

"Kid," said a voice from behind. "Do you not know how to greet a new pal?"

I feared an ambush of any sort. Nonetheless, I stood still.

The stranger crept in. "Turn around and shake my hand..."

The resistance was strong, for it was best to avoid whatever conflicts. However, I eventually insisted to shake the stranger's hand. I felt the hand as being uncharacteristically hard but brittle.

All of a sudden, I felt a surge through my body. Everything went blank in an instant. My body was static on the icy route.

***

It was going to be one of those days.

Eyes opened; I was greeted by the sound of a wall clock going wild; the woodpecker bursting out like a circus act to wake me up from my slumber.

"Where the heck am I?" I asked.

I got no response at first. Then came the sound of familiar footsteps.

"Heya, kid."

A skeleton's head emerged, upside down, in front of mine. I trembled off the couch and onto the mat.

I was baffled. "Wh...what are you...?"

"The name is Sans," the skeleton presented itself. "Sans the skeleton."

"What did you do to me? Why am I here? Where..."

"Whoa there! That's too many questions for a simple guy like me to answer, kiddo."

I took a deep breath, then released. "O-okay. One by one, then."

"I am usually seen walking near my post just outside of town, on the lookout for humans. It's part of what I do here. Heck, that's all I ever do."

Sans chuckled. "But, y'know, I don't even care about capturing a human."

"Capture a human?" I muttered. "You did just fine by the look of things."

"Yeah," Sans turned to me, "looks like I did."

"Look," I said, "Sam, I don't mean to be rude, but I want to get myself out of here."

Sans' face changed a bit. Not that it was obvious. Skeletons were not the best in showing facial changes respective to emotion. "Get yourself out of...?"

I sighed before blabbering on. "I was in Mount Ebott, happily walking when suddenly, I tripped over something and fell down here. On the way, I met some...friendly Monsters. However, I still need to find a way out. I am running late for dinner!"

I gave dinner as an excuse, even though it looked very, very unlikely that I could get home in time.

Sans nodded. "So did you kill any of the friendly Monsters?"

"Of course not," I replied. "Except there was one annoying little flower..."

Sans gave a painfully terrifying stare at my path. A ball of fire engulfed on his left eye socket, too, causing discomfort to my sight. I could feel the ball burning my retina.

The short but stable skeleton eventually stopped, then he giggled. "So you are not lying. Now, about the flower..."

I was running out of patience. "Brother, thanks a lot for capturing me, but now I have to go! My mom needs me!"

"Chill, kid. You look so uptight. Why not you go change into something more...smellicious?"

No amount of knowledge helped in comprehending the last word he said.

Sans looked in a great mood. "No offense, kid, but you smell like spoiled cheese!"

That made sense. I had not showered for a long time. I walked the forest for a long, long time, till I ended up at the skeleton's beautiful home.

"Fine, I will change! Where should I change?"

"Anywhere," he replied with a smirk.

Nevertheless, I eventually changed into used overalls, which comprised of red long-sleeved shirt and completed with blue suspenders. Sans broke into the bathroom, offering a red hat. I refused, for I was in love with my own hair.

"Suit yourself," Sans sighed. "But do not go crying when your beautiful hair gets the g-rain-ed!"

Sans was not making sense. I decided to ignore him for a moment.

"SAAAANNNSS!"

I trembled. "Who on earth...?"

Sans put his index finger on his lips. "Relax, kid. It is my little brother..."

The brother wasted no time; he smashed the door aside, making his presence felt. The skeleton was taller compared to his older counterpart. His clothing resembled that of a hippie-superhero wannabe, a combination of which was of no relevance to my thought process.

The brother turned to me, and then back to Sans. He went back and forth countless times it looked like his head was going to pop off.

"My BROTHER! You have captured a HUMAN!"

The encounter with the Skeleton Brothers was looking like a rough ride.  
  



	8. Puzzles

"HUMAN!"

"Hey, chill, bro. He's just an ordinary..."

"HUMAN! It is I, the great Papyrus, future captain of the Royal Guard!"

Words could not describe what was going through the mind at that point.

"Sans," asked Papyrus, "I applaud you because, for the first time in a long time, you finally did something INCREDIBLE!"

The lanky skeleton was full of excitement. "Does the human have a name? Have you two been getting to know each other?"

"Heck yeah!" exclaimed Sans. "Kid, do not be afraid. Just speak up. My bro is an...interesting individual."

I nodded. "S-sure. Why not?"

"I am Biron," I said. "I am currently stranded here in the Underground. I do not know where I am right now, but your brother has been kind enough to lend me these clothes. It's nice to meet you, but I really need to leave..."

Papyrus interrupted. "Leave? But we have not started to have fun!"

Sans whispered to me, "Bro likes to play games. They are simple enough..."

I interrupted Sans. "I do not care for that! I just want to get home."

Papyrus retorted. "You are not going anywhere, young one! Your duty is to join the great Papyrus in a set of challenging, mind-boggling...puzzles!"

Oh, great.

I sighed out of frustration. "Fine. What is the catch?"

"If you win, you will get to proceed to the next round!"

I grinned a little. "Okay...what is the next round?"

"More puzzles!"

By that time, things looked like it was going from bad to worse.

"What if I lose?"

"If you lose?"

The lanky but well-mannered, sometimes noticeably eccentric skeleton was silent for awhile. "If you lose, you will be sent to the Royal Guards! Then, they will send you to the King of the Underground...who is a jolly good fellow. Do not worry about him."

Confident words, but no matter the challenge, and the consequences of the actions, I was determined to walk out the victor.

"Well, then," I said. "Challenge accepted!"

Papyrus looked a creature short of breath. The fact that he was a skeleton denied the notion that he was exhausted, or possibly hyperventilating.

"BRILLIANT! SPECTACULAR! WONDERFUL!" were the phrases that came out of his mouth, joy etched on his tall but brittle face. "I shall summon thee..."

"I prefer you speak in plain English," I protested.

"Oh, fine," he sighed. "I shall begin the game of...JUNIOR JUMBLE!"

A piece of paper containing words and letters and the face of a cartoon bear was put on the table. We both took our positions; Sans, too, even though he was not involved in the game.

The game of Junior Jumble was not unheard of. There was a bit of rustiness because I have not touched it for a year or so, but occasionally my sister and I would trade blows trying to solve the atrocities for good, till we both end up with smiles on our faces.

Anyhow, the game with Papyrus was as enjoyable as it could be; I was able to beat him with no problem at all.

"Bah! This was too easy! Time to move on to a new challenge. CROSSWORD PUZZLE!"

He had to be kidding.

***

 

"AAAAGHHH!"

Papyrus was not amused. The fact that I defeated and demolished him in two straight challenges did not sit well, it seemed. Sans, on the other hand, occasionally butt in, saying silly 'catchphrases' that would make the glorious Rowan Atkinson cough up a fur-ball.

"Paps, your performance in this game is, well...PUZZLING to say the least."

"Hey, look, my fingers CROSS-ED the paper."

"You guys should have followed the TuTORIEL for crying out loud."

Meanwhile, a smile crept out on my face.

_Man, I am enjoying all this_.

The Skeleton Bros proved sociable, accepting, tolerant and occasionally irritating , but all in a good fun.

_As long as they do not hurt me, we are all good._  


 

 


	9. More Puzzles

"Conceding defeat, skull boy?"

Papyrus, or Paps as he was sometimes referred by his brother, looked unconvinced. It was as if a cloud hung above his head, showering him with crippling misfortune in the many board games that he partaken in.

Loss after loss he endured, but he was never one to surrender so easily.

"Not a chance, human!" exclaimed Papyrus. "I will never give up, not till the last drop of blood!"

Sans and I could not say a word, but Paps could not be serious.

"I will be outside," was the tall vertebrate's words as he separated from his chair and made his way out.

"Sans," I asked, "where is Papyrus gone to?"

Sans raised his shoulders. "Beats me, kiddo."

I left my chair and headed for the exit. Sans did not bother to follow. Instead, he took the liberty to hold on to his cup of coffee, and poured excess ketchup on the delicate fries.

Outside, I was greeted by the glimmering of lights, as well as the coolness of the night. The fog retreated momentarily, so there was a complete little town in front of me. The Monsters were mostly of gentle, warm nature; they made no fuss over my racial identity.

I encountered a beautiful rabbit-like Monster, who accompanied her baby brother for a walk outside; no potty training necessary. There was also The Rock, who stood with his two lovely children outside a house but a few inches from the swishing currents of the river.

"Hey, kids," the Rock said, "do you smell what momma's cookin'?"

"No, dad," his first child replied.

"Me, neither," the second child replied.

The Rock let out a chuckle. "If you smell what momma's cookin'... call me back into the house! I just LOOOVE her grilled steak!"

Monsters do have a cheeky sense of humor, not unlike the humans that I know in my brief lifetime.

Papyrus was a human-hunting fanatic that would go to extreme lengths to make sure a human got captured, regardless of how questionable, or lack thereof, methods imposed to do so. There was much debate as to his motives for capturing. It could be that he hated human flesh; that he has got a point to prove to the Royal Guard; or he was just looking for ways to burn time because he was awfully bored.

Beating him in common human games was a private triumph, but mattered little to me. I just wanted it all to be done with. Winning was not the priority. For Paps, he was determined to beat me, so much that he stormed off to possibly plot a vicious attack.

Not that it mattered, for I was starting to relish the little town of Snowdin and its mostly gracious inhabitants.

"Hey, Marco!"

A voice crept from a distance. A fish creature looked straight at me.

"Marco, you clueless white oaf!" the fish angrily screamed at the tip of my ear. "You are supposed to follow the Royal Guard!"

I was baffled. "T-the R-royal...?"

"Do not play dumb with me, you little rascal! Go, now!"

She beat me on the back with a whip. I screamed and got moving. As ordered, I followed a gang of disproportionately-sized dogs. The one in front of the group was dressed mightily in a body armor. Behind him were two similarly-dressed ones, hands held together as if in a marriage ceremony. The last in the group, the one right in front of me, was either not paying attention to where he was walking, or indefinitely sight-impaired.

One heck of a group.

Suddenly, a thought bubble came alight.  _Heck, maybe these dogs know the way. Maybe they will lead me to the King's castle, and then the barrier. This is certainly one of my lucky days!_

_Thanks a lot, Sans, for the plumber costume, even though it's size L._


	10. The Plumber

 

We marched for mere minutes, till it was time to stop, for we reached our destination.

It was a dark, deep place; deeper within the south of Snowdin. Located in a cave, the shrine was thought to be a site of huge importance by the traditional Underground Monsters. For it was in that shrine, where a skillful wizard named Toby discovered the ability to extend on his worldly existence, reaching out to the ever-growing universe. He earned accolades and praise for his sorcery; that was, till he was heard of no more...

The shrine was large and mostly uninhabited, save for strange whale-like creatures that glide along the walls with pride. If looked at closely, the creatures resemble a whale and a bullet at the same time. Such was the complexity of life in the Underground.

"We are on a mission!" exclaimed the armored dog, its tongue twitching back and forth. "I love missions! They keep me going, each and every day!"

"Indeed," said the male in the happily married dog couple. "We are supposed to guard this facility from certain harm. Harm that might come from anywhere..."

The female nodded. "Honey, we shall defend this facility with pride, shall we not? For the Royal Guard!"

"For the Royal Guard!" exclaimed the male with excitement.

The couple cuddled each other like the lovebirds, or 'love dogs' they were. Meanwhile, I turned my attention to the sight-impaired mutt.

"Brother," I asked. "What is y...?"

"Huh?" the dog questioned. "Who said that?"

"I did," I candidly replied.

The dog sighed. "Look, I cannot see things unless they move. So, don't push me!"

I began walking a little.

"Eh?"

I anticipated the worst.

"Marco? You're with us?"

I nodded, making full use of my imitation. The hood covering my head was able to shield me for the first few minutes with the Guards.

Then, the armored dog called on me. "Honorable plumber, we have known each other for some time. You proved time and again that you are very good at fixing things. That is a great thing!"

"Yeah...about that...what shall I do now?"

The male in the couple butted in. "Have you not heard? Undyne wants us all to guard this place from danger."

I nodded. "Cool, but what must  _I_  do?"

"Well...you could..."

"Fix things!" exclaimed the armored dog, his face a sea of joy. "It is your expertise, wise plumber of the Underground!"

The dog pointed at a pipe, which had water bursting out of it. "See that over there? Use your skills to fix that pipe! It should be easy for a great plumber like you!"

_Easy, huh? Well, wait till he finds out who I truly am._

Nevertheless, I reluctantly helped. I was not good at plumbing. Had almost no experience, except for the time I witnessed my old man's professionalism when dealing with the broken kitchen equipment. _That was pure joy,_ I remembered.

The pipe almost went "SKRAA PAP PAP PAP!" but it didn't.Instead, it went  _WHIRRRRR!_

_This is so not good,_ I thought.

I had not a clue as to how I should behave like a plumber does. The situation was made the worse, when out of the blue, a ragtag crew of misfits decided to join the fray.

At first I thought they were going to lend a hand, but soon it turned out they were not the friendly kind.

Through some hidden loud speaker, a voice cried out, "Hah! You royal scums are not gonna get out of here alive!"

_"Huh?" the blind dog cried out. "Who can this be?"_

_"It is my servants and I who decided to let you all come here. Since you all are, then my plan is complete! You have fallen into my trap!"_

_The deep but beautiful-sounding male voice revealed that the burst pipe was the work of his crew of gangsters, five of which decided to storm into the shrine like the rascals they were._

_The feathered, bespectacled gangster laughed. "Puppy meat for dinner. Yummy!"_

_"Couldn't say it better," replied another similar bird-like creature. "Let's finish them!" The bird drooled like a starving caveman._

_The married male dog sighed. "Royal Guards...prepare for war! RRROOOFFF!"_

_The fighting ensued. It was a war of sorts; bodies flown here and there in split seconds, and the risk of injury is as little compared to death, which looked certain for anyone. The blind dog was also a participant, but he was constantly falling off his feet._

_A bespectacled creature in leather jacket, with the intense look etched on his face, went for the blind dog, pouncing; attempting to take advantage on his obvious disadvantage._

_"Prepare to di..."_

_I struck the creature with a drop kick, leaving him stunned. Then, I pulled the dog Guard up to his feet, and walked him to safety._

_"You okay, fella?" I asked. "What is your name, anyway?"_

_"Huh? Oh, it's Doggo!"_

_"Doggo?" I reminisced about a playful young puppy which belonged to my neighbor at my surface home._

_"Yup. Hey, we are in a war zone, aren't we?"_

_I nodded. "Indeed we are, but we can't let these birds win..."_

_"These aren't birds! They are Drakes!"_

_"Drakes? What are those?"_

_"They are vile creatures!" he exclaimed. "They want nothing more than to take control of the Underground, all for themselves. And they think they can do that by getting rid of us!"_

"By the looks of things," I added, "you are absolutely right."

Doggo was flailing; it later appeared he wanted to touch my shoulders, so I put his hands on the shoulders.

He was shaking me, saying, "Look, dude, you gotta help me! You gotta help us all!"

In spite of all the fighting, I told Doggo to sit still.

"Can you walk, Doggo?"

"Depends," he replied. "If I see things that move, that won't be a problem."

Soon, Doggo sighted a Monster with no arms. The Monster was of young age and wore a dated checkered shirt.

Doggo grunted. "Hey, you! MK! Come back here!"

With that, it looked like one problem was solved, but it was time to assist the Guards as per Doggo's request.

The battle tense as always, I witnessed the Drakes seemed to be winning. They still had three members on their feet, while I saw the male dog nursing his injuries. His female life companion was still standing, but looked exhausted. The largest dog was standing firmly; he had a strong armor that worked well in his favor.

The Drakes set their sights on the big one. After disposing of the female dog, tossing her away like crumpled paper, the two bespectacled, bird-like creatures surrounded the remaining dog. One of them slipped because the female dog pulled his legs.

"Give it your best shot!" the dog yelled. "I am not going down without a fight!"

The Drakes grinned. "If that is what you really want...be our guest."

The dog did all in his power to prevent damage, but his armor kept getting beat up. After several near-misses, the Drakes succeeded in weakening him.

They targeted his feet. Using some wooden planks, they started hitting the dog's legs. The two were quick to strike down the Dog, and there was not a chance for the dog to get up, for he just could not call for anyone to help.

The male dog was severely injured, blood pouring near his stomach area. The female was having a quarrel with a fallen Drake member. Doggo I saw fled the scene when all was breaking loose.

Then I came back in.

I equipped myself with a wrench which, when held, felt a bit like an 8kg dumbbell.

"Hey!" I screamed.

The Drakes turned to me. I got their attention. They got mine as well, for I stared them down their souls.

The Drakes were vicious in their character and irrational in their motives, but little did I care for those who hurt others for the sake of prestige and pride. Determined I was, to end their cruelty at that very moment.

"If you wanna fight somebody," I said, "I am here."

"Well, look who the reinforcements sent!" the Drakes giggled. "Easy meat."

They laughed, before turning serious. "Get him!"

Equipped with planks, they were on to me like a pack of wolves. Their relentless efforts nearly paid dividends, when I was caught for a moment and sent to the ground, my body joined by patches of snow.

They could not wait for me to get back up.

"You have no idea who you are messing with, plumber punk!" a Drake exclaimed. "Give it up, or I will tear you limb by limb!"

I refused to give in to either proposal. Instead, I hit the wrench on the Drake's right foot.

"AAAAUUUUGHH!" he yelled in pain.

It appeared the wrench was 'doing its job'.

I was almost sidetracked by the other Drake who lurked behind. I just managed to avoid his strike, which split the plank to pieces. Suddenly, the plank resembled a little stick, but I had a stronger, unbreakable weapon.

I ran off momentarily, giving myself some breathing space, but once I reached the wall, I started to jump.

For a moment, I flew high up. The Drake could only drool in awe.

"What kind of plumber are you?"

By estimation, I was to land near - or directly on top of – the menacing maniac. So I thought, might as well strike while the iron's hot. A blow to his head; he was down and out indefinitely.

A Drake tackled me from behind. A strong tackle; I felt the friction with the snow and the ground. My face was covered with snow – and drops of blood. I could not see red, but I felt it pouring out of my forehead. My skin was torn.  _Oh God, no._

My head was uncovered. My identity suffered the same fate.

"What the...?" the Drake thought. "You ain't the plumber! You're..."

The moment of hesitation by the bird, was what I needed to silence him. His head was near my legs, so I thrusted myself forwards and locked his head up. I tried my hardest to suffocate the living life out of the intruding Drake. I also pulled his head by the rear neck to add more pressure.

"Tap out!" I screamed. "Surrender, or else I won't let you go!"

The Drake didn't respond, but his eyes were turning white. He was really struggling for air.

The momentum was stopped, when a Drake member pushed me off of his friend.

The Drake told his friend to get up, but there was no response. The friend was still in shock; probably paralyzed.

"You did this," the Drake said with anger. "You destroyed him! You are evil, just like your people!"

His mention of my people being bad people struck a chord in me. I was out of words.

The remaining Drake picked up my wrench. "Let's see you taste your own medicine, punk!"

I stared him down, but there seemed to be no effect. The Drake was as aggressive as he could be, not giving a thought to most of his actions. The same goes for the others that I put down before.

Out of nowhere, the large dog pulled off a surprise. He came charging towards the Drake and mauled him. It was painful to watch; the Drake was instantly dead from loss of blood.

I kept silent. The dog looked at me.

"So, you are a human?" asked the dog. "But humans attacked..."

"No, you got it wrong," I interrupted. "I attacked them because they attacked you."

The large dog was still trying to figure things out. He looked confused at best.

The female dog voiced out. "Greatest Dog, it is true..."

"Which part is true, dear friend?" the Greatest Dog inquired.

"It's what this soul said," she replied, pointing her finger at me. "I saw it with my own eyes. This soul, however tarnished it may or may not be, has saved us from certain death. He has destroyed the Drakes."

It looked like one of them understood.

Greatest Dog kept on turning his head, first towards me, then towards the female dog, and then back at me.

The buffed dog nodded. "I am sorry, human, but I have misjudged you, and unfairly labelled you because of your race. It was my mistake."

He bowed down in front of me.  _What?_

I was not able to collect a lot of vocabulary to get the conversation rolling. All I said was, "I am sorry, too."

Things were getting a bit strange, even though I loved the outcome. It turned out better than I thought, but I refused to stay in the shrine.

My attention was turned towards an ailing male dog, husband of the female one, who was still nursing his injuries. He was bleeding badly then, but managed to make the bleeding stop.

"Get him to the hospital," I said, before I ran out of the shrine.

"Wait!" I heard the scream from Greatest Dog. "You are hurt. Should you not follow—"

***

 


	11. Sans-ational

I have walked for a long time. That put me at the brink of exhaustion. The amount of blood spewing off my forehead did little to calm me down.

At times I wondered, was it really a wise thing to do? Running away - from a group of dogs - just because I was of the 'rival race'?

I could not come to terms with everything that transpired back in the shrine. Better yet, my being alive still was kind of creepy. I learned a thing or two from Karate, but did not expect practice to be implemented in such a way; successfully, too!

After the long jog, I came across two edges, joined together by a wooden bridge. The bridge I duly crossed; the beauty of the forests below I ignored, for I was still in a reasonable amount of pain.

Sans showed up outside a guard post.

"Hey, kiddo," he said. "I found my bro. He wants you," he points his finger to his left,  
"over there."

Papyrus was standing still, my eyes struggling to focus on him, for the fog got a lot thicker than it used to be. Perhaps it was to be a day clouded by darkness. Then again, the sun did not shine at Snowdin, not as long as I could remember from the past 24 hours I have been there.

"Human," the lanky skeleton said, "how nice of you to join me."

I could make out he was grinning.

He carried on. "You and I, we share a thing or two in common. One of them is that, we are both great players of the traditional form of games. We are the dominator of classics! Besides that, we are all great people, like I am the Great Papyrus!"

"However, this..." He paused awhile.

"Carry on...," I said. "Like I give a..."

The fog cleared, allowing me to observe Papyrus dressed in his finest clothes and bright red cape. "This has to end right here, right now!"

Oh, boy.

Papyrus summoned some bones from the ground. The bones were avoided, but the atrocious weather left me with a disability: I could not see very well. Added to that was my recurring forehead injury which left me all but hobbling ever since I escaped the shrine.

By accident, I smacked my head against a bone. My feet trembled to the ground, and then my body betrayed me. There was not a thing I could do, for I went blank; my eyes shut.

"Go get him, bruh," Sans said.

Papyrus covered me for the pinfall. Sans counted 1, 2 and 3. Papyrus celebrated.

"NYEH-HEH-HEH!" Papyrus exclaimed in joy. "I have beaten the human, brother! I am indeed the Great Papyrus! Now, it is time for the Royal Guard to_"

Sans butted in. "Blood loss."

The fiery tall skeleton's celebration was cut short. "Oh, my..."

The skeleton brothers were stumped to see their human associate lying with blood pouring off the forehead in a violent manner.

"He is...dead..." Papyrus muttered in shock. "Oh, nooo...I...I did not mean to kill him!" The lanky skeleton burst to tears. "No...this is an outrage...this is not what the Great Papyrus had in mind..."

Sans glanced at Papyrus, before proceeding to check on me. "Let me see..."

Sans put his index and middle finger on my neck. He nodded. "Alive..."

Papyrus was relieved. "How fortunate. But...how? What happened to him? How did he become like this?"

"Bro, I do not know, and now I do not c_"

Sans' eyes lit up a strong blue. "Get down!" he ordered his brother.

A couple of Drakes made their way to the scene. They flaunted their leather jackets and jet black sunglasses, also the occasional fake hair. As they walked along the streets of Snowdin, all could do nothing but look in awe. They were either intrigued, or terrified. No one dared to interfere with the Drakes, especially not with rumors about their violent, cruel leader who would cut off the limbs of wrongdoers. Their motto 'execute at all costs' was a grim reminder of their seriousness and dedication; also why they saw their self as a direct replacement for the Royal Guard, whom they have seen as being 'obsolete'.

The Drakes did not find anything particularly interesting.

"Nothing here," one of them said to the other. "Just some snow."

"Man, forget that!" the other replied. "All you know about is snow, snow, and more snow. Ain't a thing worth fitting into your tiny, winey brain, eh, Matt?"

"Aw, c'mon, Snow..."

The former stopped when he saw red patches of blood on the snow-covered ground.

"Over there," he said.

The two flicked their fingers on the thin layer of blood. The former proceeded by licking it.

"Human blood," he muttered with a grin.

The Drakes followed the dark red traces like a sly fox ready to pounce on their prey, till they saw a body lying motionless, alongside the shaking Papyus.

"IT WASN'T ME!!!" Papyrus screamed in unreasonable fear. "It wasn't..."

"Skully boy," a Drake said while pointing his finger, "shut your mouth, and you will be out of trouble this time!"

"O-o-okay..." Papyrus nodded.

"Good. Let's see what we have ..."

Before the two were able to lift my body, they were hit with a big surprise.

Out of the blue, Sans reappeared, using some sort of force field to push the thugs about a mile away.

"Quick, hold my hand!" Sans informed to me and Papyrus.

Without much hesitation, we both grabbed hold of Sans' meatless arms. Sans proceeded by running towards a black hole from which he came from earlier.

"Wait. What...?" I recalled saying the same time I slowly regained consciousness.

Sans's 'time warp' black hole did not just save our lives, but it also brought us all back in the Skeleton residency.

I was unaware of what happened inside the hole; all I knew was that I fell asleep. Again.

Sans sighed. "That was close."

"Brother," Papyrus said, "I do not mean to be rude, but our human friend, he..."

"Get him patched up. He's gonna need it."

Papyrus sighed. "All right, Sans. I will get the bandages."

I woke up and felt some loose cloth on my head. It felt better already; no more severe migraine.

Somehow, after all that occurred before my eyes, I was still alive.

Never thought I would even survive, but I did. Thank you, God.

It could have been worse. Thanks to Sans and Paps; without them, I would have been taken by those dreadful, vicious Drake demons.

Papyrus came to me like a bloody Road Runner and gave me a wedgie. "NYEH!"

"Ouch!" I cried. "Be careful, Paps!"

Papyrus let go of his grip. "For the first time," Papyrus uttered with pride, "the Great Papyrus is glad to have saved the life of a Human. It is an honor to be of service to you, Human."

I shook my head. "Yeah...I guess I couldn't have done it without you. I mean, you saved me!"

"Sans and I both helped you out of your misery, human!" Papyrus gave out a long grin. "Oh, before I forget, I need to prepare a meal..."

Papyrus left me to watch some dancing robot on the TV, while he looked eager to cook something that smelled pretty odd.

The TV show was not really my thing; the robot was able to do the moonwalk, spin and even occasionally breakdance, but it just did not catch my impression. To me, it was a cheap publicity stunt, just like what they were starting to do up in the real world.

"That's Mettaton."

Like a sneaky little devil, Sans appeared beside me on the sofa.

"Who?" I enquired.

"That metal head, that's Mettaton."

I understood. "Well, I've seen him, and I have to say, I've met a ton of people who could do what he did."

Sans chuckled. He burst into a louder laugh. "Good one, kid. Say, you learned a thing or two from me. I guess that is a good thing?"

It made me realize I made a joke by accident.

"Met a ton...? Pfffttt!" I rubbed it off. "Well, I am known for being fun to be around with..."

"That makes the two of us," Sans replied. "Hey, kiddo, you not gonna change the channel?"

"Nah, Papyrus wanted to see this show."

"C'mon, he ain't around."

I surrendered, for it was a small issue that needed no fussing about. "Suit yourself, Sans."

Sans changed to Underground Music TV show, which often showed the top music hits in the Underground every day. The song playing was 'Megalovania' by the Water Fall Orchestra.

They were pretty impressive. For an orchestra to be featured in the music charts, that does not happen every day. Sans looked like he enjoyed it, too. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, but soon reverted to its original form.

The aroma from the kitchen was becoming a stronger. Papyrus came out holding a large plate of spaghetti.

"Dinner is served, kids!" Papyrus joked and put the plate on the table.

The aroma wonderful; the aesthetics not so much. Still, I took a bite and overall, it was as good as it got. It was usual dinner food, not something out of Jamie Oliver's cookbook. That would be strange, coming from the Underground, though I do not know what is considered strange anymore.

The three of us, Sans included, ate as much as our tummies could make room for. Paps could cook, but he cooked so much, there was still a lot of spaghetti left after we were done.

I failed to cover up a burp, but they did not mind.

"Guys," I said, "thanks for the great sleepover. But I don't know why you guys don't stop me when you had the chance."

Papyrus was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Sans turned to me but his facial expression was limited.

I sighed. "What I meant was, you two were supposed to capture and send me to your leader. Like what you said to me earlier."

Papyrus put his hand in front of my face. "Human, while it may appear that I want to capture you, I was wrong. I actually wanted to capture you, to prove that I deserve to enter the Royal Guard, to show that I am a good soldier!"

I chuckled. "And do you think you have proved it?"

Papyrus had his head bowed down. "It is always my dream to become a Royal Guardian of the Underground, and hang out with one of the strongest individuals in the Underground! However, after all that we've been through...I realized, my goals were a selfish one." He lifted his head back up. "You are a human, but you are just a human. You are not exactly the enemy that we seek to defeat." Papyrus grinned. "Hey, you did not attack any of us in the first place!"

I nodded. "Hey, I am a peace lover, not a war monger."

"And you are very good in poetry!"

"Well," I tried to hide my blushing, "I tried a few times..."

Sans chuckled. "But can he do puns?"

"I am pretty sure he can," Papyrus replied. "What do you say, human?"

"I will pass."

We all laughed our socks off.

While it was fun hanging around Snowdin, it was time to get going. Sans understood my cause, but for his brother, it seemed hard. He seemed reluctant to say goodbye.

Eventually, Papyrus volunteered to accompany me to leave Snowdin. Sans watched us from afar, just in case some idiots popped up and tried to stop us. To stop me.

On and on we walked, till we reached the end of Snowdin. There was a guard post, and a flower that talked. Not the dastardly evil flower that almost killed me, but...

The Monsters called them the Echo Flower.

They were turquoise and taller than me, but not too tall. I was unable to engage in much conversation with it, probably because I was not too interested. My biggest hope was that they do not bite, let alone throw nerve-tingling insults.

I saw Sans standing on the post.

"I did not know Sans takes care of many posts," I told Papyrus.

"He does!" Papyrus exclaimed. "He loves to multitask. Oh, how I wonder how he does it so well."

I pat the skeleton on his shoulder. "Chill, brother! I am sure you will get to your goals, whatever it is. You just have to keep working at it!"

Papyrus blushed. "Did you just call me...brother?"

I scratched my hair, "Yeah...I did," weirded out by the sudden blushing.

Papyrus proceeded by hugging me. "Yes, you are right. We might not be brothers in blood, but we are brothers nonetheless!"

I did not understand what he meant, but I breathed a sigh of relief when he let go of me.

Then, as I turned my head back to the post, I noticed Sans was gone.

With no time to lose, Papyrus and I carried on out of Snowdin, past a beautiful long waterfall.


	12. Undyne Strikes

In hot water, she thought; for the Royal Guard acted on their own, without their leader to accompany them through the recent battle with the dastardly Drakes which nearly claimed the lives of the members, including one 'Marco the Plumber'. As it turned out, one got stabbed, one marginally injured and a few others went missing in action.

The plumber was absent when the finned, blue-skinned de facto leader came to visit the hospital.

Undyne could not comprehend the issue. He stared from outside the quarantine room where her friends were holed up. A doctor, dressed in a thick white coat that covered his large body - making him look even larger - approached the soldier while sticking his notebook out.

"Doctor," she sighed. "I understand you are only doing your job, but the Royal Guard...they have never been so devastated. Never did I see this coming."

"No one does," the doctor replied while fixing his spectacles. "The scratch marks are received from contact with a sharp object, in your friend's case, an attack, and this was a physical assault on several degrees..."

"Obviously," Undyne nodded, but she bowed down with a face that signified guilt. "God, I should have been there. Had it not been for me..."

Undyne smacked the glass mirror with rage. "Now they are here, because of me!"

The doctor, whose name tag read 'Alz Heimer', comforted the fish lady. "There, there. Nothing much you could do. No one could have reacted to the savages. But, at least your friends are all fine."

"Are they really all right?" she refocused on her brothers in arms.

"They are in stable condition."

Undyne took a deep breath. "Good, doctor. Thank you."

Doctor Alz smiled. "We here at Underground General Hospital are always dedicated to helping our patients return to their original, healthy self. As in the case of your friends," he said while fixing his spectacles again. "They will be well taken care of till it's the right time to send them home."

"Is that all, doctor?" Undyne said. "If you are done, may I enter the room?"

"That is all, and yes, you may proceed."

The Royal Guardians were not behaving in sync, nor did they look fit for duty. Dogamy grimaced in pain. His pain so severe, he would not eat or drink for a while. His wife Dogaressa suffered minor injuries but that, too, had to be handled with care. Any more encounters with the enemy camp could result in disastrous consequences, with death being one of them.

Undyne took the time to talk to Dogaressa, who mentioned stories of  _a visit from an angel_. The Greatest Dog was all smiles. Meanwhile, Doggo sat on the couch, with a certain armless child monster beside him. The boy's face signaled curiosity, but Doggo looked tense. Even in his blindness, he could sense danger.

"Doggo."

The dog could recognize the cracked voice. "Undyne, you're here! Am I glad to see you!"

"What? Why? How did this happen to you guys?"

Doggo shook his head. "I did not see everything, but I did remember..."

Doggo was taking too long to respond. That drove Undyne mad.

"Remember what, exactly?" she was growing impatient. Arms folded, she did not look the waiting type. "Doggo, can you remember?"

"It was Marco!" Doggo exclaimed, lifting his right index finger. "He told me to run away. Then, he...man, I cannot remember! Sorry, Undyne." The blind Royal Guardian let out a pitiful moan.

"Where is he?"

"Errr..." Doggo's head jinked left and right. Sweat poured like rain water from his furred forehead. "I don't...know..."

The increasingly irritated leading Royal Guardian wasted no time to grab his associate by the neck. Doggo gulped; shocked, as one would be.

"You listen to me, kid!" Undyne screamed. "I asked you a question, plain and simple, but you don't wanna give me a complete answer? GAAAHHHHH! Wasting my time, and your own life! You are only making it easy for me to kill you, you blind fool!"

Doggo felt very afraid; he was gulping and crying. "Please...please do not hurt..." He was overcome by helplessness.

Undyne's mind not in control; her emotions certainly got the better of her. She was not always like this.

That the Royal Guard was left almost severely paralyzed was not easy to take. Either she was not doing her job, or the Guardians were not as strong. She was convinced the latter would be a more credible excuse, for she had always believed in her abilities from day one. The patients in neighboring wards gasped in terror by the wicked confrontation nearby.

"Oh, God," Monster Kid said. "Undyne! Please put him down! Isn't he your friend?"

"No time to talk, kid," she replied. "What are you doing here anyway?"

The mere words spoken by the head of the Royal Guard sent shockwaves to the mind of that poor, disabled child.

"Grrr...!" Dogamy tried hard to speak. "Stop, you two...gaahhh!" His vocal cords were slightly bruised from the pain he was in.

Dogaressa cried out, "Please, Undyne, you do not have to do this!"

Sans came over, sporting his usual street clothes, his appearance completed by a blue jacket he grew fond of wearing - ever since he ditched his job at Dr. Alphys's laboratory.

"Whoa, there," Sans voiced out his concern. "Let us not spill ketchup on the floor...if you know what I mean."

He winked at Undyne; the leader bit her sharp teeth.

"Heh," Sans said, "let Doggo go-go already. No need to get so uptight that our pups did not get the job done."

It took a while, but she eventually put Doggo down. "Fine, Sans. You win this time."

Undyne bowed her head to the floor, casting a dejected figure.

"It looks like we are losing," Undyne said. "Maybe, we have already lost."

Sans smirked. "Cut the crap, fish girl! Heck, look who I brought here..."

Sans moved away from the door to reveal a very much alive and present Marco, the well-known Italian plumber. He was dressed in nothing but his plain white pajamas.

"It's a-me, fellows!" Marco exclaimed in an unbroken native accent. "I hope you all doing a-great, but you all don't look a-good, if you know what I mean."

After years of living in foreign land, Marco still found it difficult to shake off his local dialect. Still, Undyne was having none of it. The Royal Guardians gently followed the drama in front of their eyes.

Dogamy groaned. "Hurt...still..."

"Oh, my," Dogaressa replied. "Hold on still, dear. You will be all right. Your blood is stable."

"Are you...sure...darling?"

"Of course!" Dogaressa responded with a smile. "The doctor said so, my dear. Now, you lay back and rest. It will be all right, love."

"We believe you can go through this!" Greatest Dog motivated his colleague. "Dear Undyne, we are all right. You do not need to blame Doggo. He is innocent!" The dog ended with a smile.

Undyne glanced at his team-mates. For a while, she was held aback. She turned away and her head kept down.

"My bad," she said softly.

"See?" Sans said. "Toldja it is all cool as ice."

Undyne turned to Sans. "I need to talk to you, in private. Now."

Sans was thinking of retorting, but instead approved of Undyne's request. So, he quietly left the room and headed to a more secluded area with his superior officer.

"What up, 'Dyne?" he asked candidly.

"You do know that I ordered you to look after the posts in Snowdin, don't you?"

"Yep."

"And you do know, because of your gifted abilities, you are trusted by the King to look after the Royal Guard. Am I right?"

Sans nodded like a hyperactive kid. "Yep-yep."

"Now, tell me..."

"What?"

"Did you see a human?"

Sans' eye socket showed nothing. "What...?"

"Did you see a human?!"

Sans tried to make a cover. "Oh...a human. I thought you meant women."

Undyne pushed Sans to the wall. "Don't play dumb with me, Sans! I know you, more than you think I do."

Sans was getting unsettled. "Whoa! Easy on my threads, girl!"

"You pathetic little devil," Undyne grinned. "You think I don't know? You think I'm stupid?!"

"Right now, you're stupid enough for both of us."

Undyne delivered her hard fists to the skeleton's stomach - or what was left of it. The Royal Guard gasped, so did Monster Kid and a confused Marco.

"Disrespect me again, and I will break your skull!"

"Ouch..."

"You stole Marco's clothes, and then you put it on some human. For a while, I was made a fool, believing that Marco came back to settle the job. Settle his job, of fixing the pipes in the shrine we always looked after. But instead, I heard stories. Stories from my own people, that an angel descended and saved them. They believe that? Am I supposed to believe that?!"

Sans regained his stamina. "Up to you, actually. I have my own body."

"We are good pals, you and I," Undyne said. "But your behavior has been unacceptable. If word goes to the King, he will be very upset. After all, it is our duty to never let any human get through here. They all should suffer the same fate our martyrs did long ago."

"So you expect me to become an idiot?" Sans questioned. "To believe a rotten apple spoils the whole basket? I don't know what the King feeds you, but hey, who am I to judge?"

Undyne resembled a sour grape. "It is what it is. No question about it..."

Sans sounded angry, his eyes lit. "Dang it, Undyne! You are nothing more than a puppet. You and your racist ideology! You believe your sole purpose is to kill and conquer. You think that all humans are the same? What's the matter, can't even cut a little boy some slack? Can't spare them like you spare me?"

Undyne was unmoved. "You know how it goes. If you see them, find them and kill them. If they fight back, DESTROY them! That isn't too difficult, not for me, anyway. The same goes to you. I've seen some get killed or destroyed. Then, their souls are ripped from their stinking corpses, and delivered to the King."

Sans looked at Undyne with a terrified look, but the look later turned into a grin.

The short skeleton laughed. "What a jerk."

He disappeared from Undyne's grip, using his teleportation ability. He found himself a few yards away, and near the hospital entrance. The hood was put on, and he walked with the crowd like anybody else did, his permanent grin showing no signs of change.

_Nap time,_  he thought.

"SAAAANNNNSSSS!" An infuriated Undyne let his frustrations show.

Marco tried to comfort the Guardian, but she grabbed his large nose and tossed him across the hallway.

Doctor Alz stormed to face Undyne, uncomfortable with the ruckus. "Do you mind?! We have patients to attend to—"

"I will finish the job myself," Undyne muttered and then left.

Marco recovered to the sofa, the doctor giving him a hand. "Mamma-mia! After losing my outfit, now we have this? What is a-happening to this a-world?"

_I love this place._

I loved it that the waters flowed at a gentle speed, and the sound of waves glued to my ears like music that was too good to refuse. The air danced and jiggled gracefully, pushing the leaves gently as it completed its cycle. They all fitted my imagination of heaven.

A duck, made with beautiful skin of yellow, and cheeks that sparked of adorability, approached me.

"Sir," they said with a squeaky but beautiful voice. "Do you need a lift to the other side?"

"Sure," I replied with a warm smile, "but I do not think you can do it."

"Watch me."

The duck jumped above my head, then gripped it. Soon, I moved further from the ground, but it did not hurt at all. On the contrary, I felt very alive. Very  _vibrant_.

It was a lot more fun than flying on planes, even though - at a young age - I never got to set foot on an airplane. Being flown by a cute duck was something special; technically my first time flying.

The landing was inch-perfect; I did not fall or tremble awkwardly to the partly lit ground.

"Thanks, little one," I said.

I was eager to carry on with my journey, but the same duck stopped me.

"Sir," he remarked, "you forgot to pay cash."

I turned back. "How much?"

"One dollar," the duck replied with a smiled.

I took out a dollar note and handed it to the duck. After keeping the money in its fanny pack, the duck flew with joy.

"Thank youuuuu!" he said. "May force be with yoouuuuu...." The voice faded out as the duck made his way out.

I lost a dollar, but I need not complain. It was worth the trouble for the duck, I presumed.  _What a cute little fella._

I was overcome by the feeling of happiness; content; satisfaction that I almost forgot about everything around me.

The turquoise-colored flowers near me would sing a wonderful phrase.

The chorus delivered in perfect tone and harmony, like those choirboys from school. "Thank youuuuu!" My body hair lifted momentarily.

Little did I know that a lone, unknown individual lurked from the shadows, not far from where I stood.

"Human flesh," the figure whispered. "You are soon mine."


	13. A New Foe

I could not picture a night so beautiful.

Turquoise leaves rustled gracefully in the sky; the aroma a simply irresistible one. The flowers wild and free, dancing in the pale moonlight, with no care in the world. No hurt; no pain; no sorrow; but contentment, with life, in all its glory, a thing my people lacked in an undisclosed but truthfully embarrassing amount.

I screamed, “Hi there!” while passing by a troop of echo flowers.

“Hi there!” they replied in unison.

Their response sent shivers down my spine, but in a pleasant way.

I tried out another quote. “Biron is my name, what is yours?”

The flowers replied the exact same thing.

“No, _I_ am Biron!”

A peaceful dispute for the rights of my name began, all for good fun; a convenient waste of time.

The clock ticked. It was already 9 p.m. _Time to get going_ , I thought. _Stick to the plan. Home is the destination._

I stood up. “Well, time to go! See you around, flowers!”

What good fun, listening and learning to talk to flowers. Even though some regarded it as useless, I believed it was them that taught me to restore inner peace when in times of trouble.

The peace replaced by a certain disruption, when I heard a familiar chuckle.

“You idiot.”

The deceitful brat of a flower made his return. By the look of his eyes, and his insanely wicked smile, some intentions just could not be disguised. He could either finish me off, or humiliate me - like he tried, back in the Ruins.

I could not blame Flowey, for he was loose cannon. He was a psychotic, and psychos tend to cause grief and harm, either to others or even themselves. Rape, suicide, terrorism; most cases pointed to the same group of behavior.

My arms I gripped. My heart filled with determination. My soul conceived anger. My mind and body, they joined together and burned the meat inside.

Flowey gave out an unpleasant grin. “What’s the matter, don’t ‘cha wanna see me? We are best of buddies, remember?”

“To hell with that!” I shouted at the tip of my voice. “I am not like you. You are evil beyond words!”

“My, my,” Flowey replied. “That is not the best remark you could give to a little flower…”

“You deserve to be ripped apart from your soul.”

Flowey’s smirk I could not bear, for his face I wished to tear. “Go on, I am listening.”

“What do you want?”

“Good question. What _do_ I want?” Flowey let out a sinister laugh. “Excellent! Besides, why am I even here, in front of a useless, worthless, egg-faced pretender like you?”

I was unmoved; rather confused. _What is he talking about?_

“But oh, nooo…There is still further use for you. That is, because all I crave for, all I was built for,” Flowey looked sharply to my eyes, “is your SOUL!”

“No chance,” I retorted. “No chance in hell that I am going to give it to you.”

The place shook like in an earthquake. Vines cropped up out of nowhere. A portion of them caught my leg, but with a handy blade, I split them. Flowey screeched as I tried to flee.

“You will pay! You will pay with your blood!”

Flowey summoned the vines to get me again. I had no choice but to run. The vines were relentless in their pursuit, while my legs began to slowly degenerate.

After a while, I seemed to lose them. I sighed in relief, but as I went forward, I reached a pool of water.

“Aw, man!”

There was a great amount of standing water in between where I stood, and my next path. All around me, nothing was of great help. On the walls, there were murals and writings in a language one could not fully comprehend, for it consisted of wing dings and such that were not fully representative of the Roman font types.  

In came a cloaked figure in a small wooden boat.

Or so it appeared; I did not expect the wooden boat to become a long-necked dog which could float on water.

The cloaked figure was not of similar bodily structure, but his presence was a mystery.

“When they reached the end, they marched inside little living boats and rode off to the sunset.”

The figure gave a welcoming signal. Without further ado, I jumped in.

“I am the River Man,” he said. “Stay still, and stay good in will!”

The vines loomed like speeding bullets, its water-resistant abilities giving it ability to appear out of anything imaginable, including hell. I had a feeling the wicked flower was a tortured soul who escaped from hell, and doomed to live with the sole purpose of leading people astray and causing havoc.

Either way, I was prey for a true, predatory psycho.

There was no one controlling the dog-boat. As I hid like a scared kitten, the River Man - as he introduced himself - began a resonant chant.

“Oh mighty vines of the earth,” he chanted, “bring dead to your own seeds of misery and let live to our innocent children. Secure for us a good destiny.”

A decent line of poetry; they remained music to my ears.

The words proved mightier than the actions that time around. Everything felt quiet but for the burbling of water underneath. Loud swishes I heard occasionally, when the dog-boat splashed itself playfully, soaking its tongue into the waters.

“The boat a thing of beauty,” the River Man muttered. “Your safety is appreciated, although not my priority.”

I could not make it out. “I am sorry, what was that?”

“Angel from above you are, angel descended to the bottom of the Earth, where life is good, life is bad, life is everything else that is better than death.”

While the River Man was not the most fathomable of companions, his demeanor reads that of intellect. “No, I am not an angel.”

“Oh!” the River Man uttered in shock. “Are you…the devil?”

“Of course not!” I exclaimed. “Look, sir, I appreciate your help. If not, I would’ve been eaten alive or something, by those vines…”

“The demon lives in some of us. Humankind, not angel, not devil, be not afraid, for there will be light to guide you. Always follow the light in here.” He placed his right palm on where his heart was.

I nodded like the fool I was. “Thanks for telling me that. I appreciate it.”

The River Man kept a watchful eye, but soon turned away. “It was my pleasure, gentle human. Tra la la la la…”

The ‘elongated’ boat marched on the river like the gentleness of a morning breeze. The clock indicated it was after midnight. The swishing of the rivers and the whispers of the wind remained a sweet, delightful and pleasurable sight. Even the River Man was in high spirits; he could be heard chanting to the tune of ‘Brown Girl in the Ring’.

“Wait a minute,” I spoke. “How do you know that song?”

“A wise man knows where to find his answers,” was his sly remark. “The technology is all in my hands. Tra la la la la…” The voice faded out in a second.

 

“IDIOT!”

Flowey was a wave of desperation. “You left me, again! AAAARRRGGHHH!”

The frustrated flower burst to ripples of tears. “I…I….”

He bowed. “I am all alone. I have no one. No friend, no family, no…I have nothing! Nothing! NOTHING!”

“You keep running away…you…you’re just like them. If you can hear me…you’re no different. You will be captured, tortured, killed. That’s the way it is here…”

Amidst his rush for human blood, Flowey could not contain the pain inside. “There is no other way!”

“I used to be just like you, but I…changed…into a lifeless, soulless, being. It hit me so bad, I can’t stand it! I can’t! I can’t stand ME! It’s a pain, don’t you see?”

Flowey closed his eyes, but they soon reopened. “Don’t you see…it is your turn to suffer?! That it is time for me to be free?!”

The wicked flower concealed in a deepening battle with itself. A resistance was existent, dim and grey but somewhat recognized. The essence of a child goat boy, all but a distant memory the flower could not fully comprehend.

_A face from the past_.

The voice deep inside Flowey came alive. “Please…please…stop…this is not right…I need to…”

“NOOOOO!” the flower refused. “You listen to me! Remember, little kid, that in here, it is kill or be ki…”

The steps of shoes tapped on the ground, alarming Flowey.

“What? Who is there? Asriel?”

Flowey did not know. The internal voice - little Asriel - did not know, either.

A figure, in striking hood that covered all but his lips, stepped out of the shadows. “Madness could not be contained by madness,” he spoke in a dense monologue, his voice muffled.

“Wh…Who are you?”

The figure kept silent, his hands in the pockets. He smiled, but that turned to a wide but passive grin.

“Hey!” Flowey’s voice screamed of inquiry. “I asked you a question. Who are you?!”

The flower edged closer like a predatory python. “Who. In. The. World. Are. Y…”

The flower instantly felt significant force being applied around his neck. “AACCKK!”

“Say one more,” the figure replied, “and I promise you will regret it.”

“Oh, my God. You…you are…”

A wide smile was formed on his mostly hidden face. “Buckle up, little trash. It’s about time I lend you a hand…”


	14. A Dream

Sans comforted what remained of Papyrus. He wept, for he arrived too late to save him.

Tears of anguish rained down the Skeleton’s eye sockets. He wanted to avenge his brother, but by then, he was too late, for a figure in a hoodie unsuspectingly slashed his body from behind.

Sans cried tears of anguish, and lied on his injured back. A strong knife it was that struck him, the same used to kill Papyrus.

The hooded figure wasted no time in finishing the monster off. The same knife was used to severely disfigure the hapless skeleton…

 

A wide gasp. “Papyrus, NOOOO!”

Sans awoke from his slumber. He was surprised to be in bed, as a Monster and not some dispelled dust.

His brother overheard the yelling. “Brother, is everything all right?”

“Huh? Paps?”

“Yes, brother? What seems to be the problem? Why are you yelling?”

Sans told his brother to come closer, and come closer he did. The teary-eyed, helpless skeleton hugged his sibling tight. “I am glad it is just a dream. I thought I would never see you again.”

Papyrus sighed, clapping his brother’s back. “Oh, brother, you are doing it again. I am _always_ here for you. Do not worry!”

  
A cup of coffee each was enough to make the tears subside. The comfort of togetherness; being in a functional family brightened Sans’s mood.

“Sans,” Papyrus said. “Are you feeling better now?”

Sans gently blew the coffee before taking a sip. “Sure, bro. Better.”

“Wonderful!” exclaimed Papyrus. “I am proud to see you in better shape.”

Sans nodded. “Sure, Paps. Anything for you.”

“But Sans,” Papyrus hesitated. “Lately, I notice you have been waking up in the middle of the night, and you were often screaming your bones out!”

Sans sighed. “Good one, bro.”

“You seem to be in a world of trouble, brother,” Papyrus suspected. “Please, tell me, what is the matter? Maybe we can try to sort it out…”

Sans was stony-faced. He could not make out ways to explain his dream. That he wanted to tell the truth, but at the same time avoid discomfort to the listening Papyrus, it was a tricky and hurtful situation.

Soon, the little skeleton sighed. He knew he had to do the right thing. “Paps, it is the human.”

Papyrus’ sipping of his favorite coffee came to an unsuspecting halt. “Eh? The human? Our human?”

“You heard me right.”

“But, I have not seen the human, ever since he left to venture the Waterfall. Sans, did you dream about the human?” Papyrus’ quizzical tone turned to a questionable grin. “Ah, you miss him!”

“The human needs to be kept a close eye on, bro.”

Papyrus looked puzzled.

“In my dream, something, or someone, vandalized and tortured this place. That thing came equipped with a sharp knife…no, wait, a blade!”

“A blade?!”

“Yeah, and…” Sans tried to avoid going to the part that hurt him the most. “He killed many. Many of us.”

Papyus gasped. “That…that is horrible! Sans, you are having a horrible dream!”

“Hard to admit, but you’re right this time,” Sans replied.

“But, what does this have to do with the human?” Papyus enquired.

Sans replied, “Like I said, we need to keep a close eye on the human…”

Papyrus stared at Sans; his face resembled questions, and he looked like he did not sit well with his older brother’s stance. He knew firsthand human Biron’s attitude, but he wondered what was also going through Sans’s mind.

“But Sans,” Papyrus said, “remember when I say this, that the dreams just do not happen, they are not exactly real.”

“They may not be real for _now_ ,” Sans continued, “but the feeling, I cannot take it.” Sans took a deep breath. “I know it’s hard, but bro, we need this. Not gonna let anyone ruin our day.”

Papyrus cast a face of reluctance. He nodded without question. “Understood, brother.” A smile soon etched on his face. “Fear not, dear brother-”

Sans shrugged.

Papyrus carried on, “For it is a new day! Now, what do you say we leave this trouble behind head out with joy on our faces!”

_I don’t wanna lose you, just as much as I don’t want to lose me. I don’t wanna lose the human, too, if that can be helped…_


	15. The Dust from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist continues his journey in the Underground. He encounters some peculiar characters.

“Here you go, little one.”

I was flattered. “Where are we, exactly?”

“Legend has it, piles of unwanted material disintegrates and decomposes in this very place.”

The metaphor of a garbage dump impressed me to no end. Still, I savored the sight of the damp area that also housed a few brown dummies.

I was under the assumption, the rules of the jungle apply in the dump, just like it did in the other places I streamed through while in the Underground. Nevertheless, I took the liberty to explore, for it was an activity I loved. 

The River Person left me to my eccentricities, so I was alone again, although the feeling of a wild flower keeping eye on me was still giving me chills.

But nobody was there. Nobody came. 

_ Nobody dares to make a mess, thank God for that. _

The four brown dummies stared into my soul, their minimal expression proved unconvincing. Never was I a fan of their kind, even in the surface world. The most I saw them were in fashion outlets when going on trips with Mom, Dad and my little sister. 

I walked away, looking forward for a brand new day, according to my  _ good old _ watch.

In my mind, it could well be some raging pulses in the neurons because of my conditioning. The gut feeling was not of confidence, but of suspicion. I swore the devil was not far off. It could well be that he was sharpening his pitchfork, ready to strike while the iron is hot.

And so it appeared. 

Mimicking the sound of a basketball passing through the hoops, one of the dummies emerged out of its shell. It no longer resembled its brothers and sisters, but rather it looked like it had gotten a touch of sunburn. 

“You ignored me,” it said. 

I was dumbfounded. “Huh?”

“You IGNORED me, you stupid buffoon! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!”

My head scratching mood turned on. “Eh? I do not know what this means…”

“You came down here with intentions that no one else sees,” the dummy muttered, “but I do! You are just another evil kid from Upstate! EVIL! EVIL! EVIL!” The lifeless vessel presented his ragdoll-like flexibility as it screamed in anger. 

“Whoa, there!” I raised my index finger. “For the record, you are not me, and I am just passing by.”

“PASSING BY?! How EEEEVIILLLL!”

“You are mad…”

“And you are going down!”

Dozens of plain white knives emerged, surrounding the mad dummy. I could sense imminent danger, so I instantly made a run for it.

There were not many hiding places in the garbage dump, but I had to make do with anything at that moment. Never mind the distasteful odor permeating from the piles of abandoned clothes and cassette tapes. They were of low priority.

Gasping for breath, I maintained my silence underneath rubble of tall sand. 

“Come out, come out, wherever you are…” The dummy chuckled. 

I was invisible. This drove the dummy even madder. “Not showing up? Again?!” 

From afar, I witnessed its telekinetic abilities on full display. It lifted its ‘brother’, then tossed a knife which hit the ‘brother’ on the head. 

“Just a model,” it said, “but if you wanna know…I was a star! STAR! STAR! STAR!”

The frequent adjective repetition made the dummy look like a crybaby. I was also wondering if there was something inside the dummy. How one out of five was able to perform telekinesis and talk, while the others remained silent, beats me. 

The dummy carried on, “It was me who was the hot one in the five piece boy-band. Me, Napsta, Metta, and some two lowlifes that wanted nothing more than to be popular. Heck, of everyone, I was the real talent. The spotlight was on me. ME! ME! ME!”

Again with the repetition, but the dummy changed, its ‘face’ resembling a more cheerful facade. “Heck, I remember those hits. ‘Quit Playing With My Monster Soul’, which I wrote. I sang lead vocals, while the rest did backing. Then, other cool songs that Napsta and I wrote together. ‘The Monster’s Ball’ is the very best that we made, but somehow after all that…AFTER ALL THAT, the Monsters love Metta! UNFAIR! UNFAIR! UNFAIR!”

The former musician seemed to have hit rock bottom by the looks of things, his ramblings giving new meaning to the trials of life.

“I used to be a cool Ghost Monster,” the dummy bowed and frowned. “But ever since Metta got that shiny upgrade by that clumsy doctor friend of his, everyone loved him! Yeah, sure, he looks cool and all, more like those humans who sing on live TV, but I’m waaayyy better than him. Metta is nothing more than a fragile Monster who masks his own weaknesses. FRAGILE! FRAGILE! FRAGILE!”

The mad dummy sighed. “There was a quarrel. Metta, being the aspiring celebrity he is, quit the band, and the Monsters of the Underground followed him! My hard work, and they followed him! Poor Napsta and I were forced to call it quits, while the two other morons got lost. I am glad they got lost anyway. Those useless beggars. USELESS!”

“The Monsters ignored me. Our so-called fans ignored me. I was left to rot, while Metta hogged on the spotlight on his own. Amazing how a few aesthetic changes could make and break a career, don’t you think?” The dummy winked. “From that day on, I resorted to DESTROY anyone who ignores me! They must RESPECT ME! RESPECT! RESPECT! RESPECT!”

My hiding was not taken lightly at all. It took a while, but it eventually spotted my hair spikes and pulled it like nobody’s business.

I gave it a little bite on the arm, and it growled menacingly. I was able to be free from its grip.

“STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!” it screamed in a horrendous manner, and then sliced its way through piles of dirt to get to me.

Impatience got the better of me. “STOP! STOP! STOOOOPPP!” 

Fortunately, the dummy understood simple English. Thus, there he was, staring at me like some mad gorilla.

I turned to face him. “Look,” I said, “I am not an ignorant person. I do not ignore talented people. You are talented, got to give it to you, but…”

“You do not mean it.”

I gulped. “Excuse me?”

“YOU DO NOT MEAN IT! I shall destroy you now!!!”

I could feel gravity betraying me. My body was lifted beyond my control. The dummy had the privilege of tossing and turning me round the dump. Food residues landed on my body, making it smell more intolerable. 

There was no chance to do anything. I was stuck; nowhere to run or hide. Then I heard a mutter.

“Uhh…let him go,” a voice crept out from afar.

The dummy was startled. “Wha-? Who?”

A milky white ghost came before us. With headphones fixed to its head, it was uncertain to me, how he was able to keep a track of things. 

“Let the human go,” the ghost stuttered. “He did not harm you…”

“To hell with that, Napsta!” the dummy replied in rage. “This human is an abomination, and a disrespectful peasant. Heck, he’s just like my so-called fans! I shall kill him now. Perhaps eating his soul will make me more beautiful.”

The ghost, ‘Napsta’ as he was called, shook his head. “That is not…uhh…not the right thing to do…” He looked petrified. “Uhh…please, Carterblook…please let it go…”

The dummy refused. “Not gonna fall for that! NO! NO! NO!”

“Not again!” I screamed. 

It seemed I tried its patience, thus it greeted me with a head butt. “Ooofff!”

The dummy turned back to its ghost friend. “You do not make the rules here, Nappy! Besides, all you do here is sleep. SLEEP! SLEEP! SLEEP!”

Napstablook’s eyes widened. “But…I…I make songs…”

“Yeah, songs that make Shyren and the two idiots look like a deity.”

At that moment, Napstablook snapped. In an instant, he performed a jumping head butt to the mad dummy. The dummy fell on a box full of chocolate, but as it tried to recover, Napstablook head butted it again. 

“Wooooo…” Napstablook chanted a mantra, which was more than enough to send the dummy spiraling off the dump, never to be seen again.

“Thanks,” I told Napsta. “I owe you one.”

The ghost stammered a bit, but then he replied, “No problem…I am sorry.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“For Carterblook.”

“Wh-what is a Carterblook?”

“He…he just ran away…just now.”

“Oh,” I scratched my head. “So, it’s a male ghost Monster.”

“Yes…we are one family of music lovers…we make music…ohh…” 

Tears rained down Napsta’s eyes. “It is sad that Metta is no longer with us…he is always doing his shows and staying in his new resort in Hotland…I am sad because h-h-he used to live with me…ohh…”

I took my time to comfort the ghost. The tears dried out fast. Napsta noticed my shoulder wound and offered to help, but I refused.

“You might get a fever...oh, I have a bandage!”

“It is all right,” I assured him. “It has dried out. Actually, I am a little bruised…”

“Come walk with me,” the ghost suggested, wearing a confused guise. “Uhh, come on and follow me…”

I followed him to his home, where I got treated with bandages anyway. He offered food, too, but I could not even hold it to begin with, so I digressed.

Napsta was kind-hearted but could not afford a smooth conversation. Nonetheless, he proved to be very friendly. The occasional stuttering commonplace, but his overall vocabulary was not a challenge to fathom.

“I want to play my music,” Napsta muttered. “Do you wanna hear?”

I nodded. “Why not?”

Napsta plugged in his tape player and turned on his mixtape, which output a soothing anthem that oozed calmness and tranquility. As my eyes closed, I could see the forming of the universe, followed by the adorable little stars that surround it. The stars took baby steps to move an inch, but that made it more pleasurable.  _ My life is complete now _ , I thought as the beautiful image occupied my mind.

Napsta lay down beside me, eyes fixed to the ceiling. I wonder if he was thinking the same thing as me, or contemplating about his distant friends. His large headphones were fixed to his head. He murmured for a while, but was hardly a nuisance. I hoped, to him, I was not one.

 


	16. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist encounters Sans, who reveals his dreams - some sort of premonition he wishes will never come true.

The enjoyment was paramount. In spite of his passiveness and shyness, the little ghost was a charm. I enjoyed the mixtapes just as much as seeing him creating some. At least it adds to my knowledge base a little, which is something that could prove handy in the future. 

Perhaps I might even surprise the Tomasso twins back at home with the tapes I copied from Napsta.  _ They are not the only ones who can make music. _

I left Napsta’s residence, only to hear a chuckle so familiar it was hardly a surprise, for this face I saw once too many times in the whole of the Underground.

“Oh, Sans,” I mumbled. “I thought you are on duty today.”

“I was,” Sans replied with a menacing chuckle. He resembled an anxious being, indecisive but also incalculable. “Hey, uh…y’heard of something called a talking flower?”

I nodded. “Sure. I saw plenty of them near the waterfall. What is it with them?”

Sans responded like he saw a ghost. “Oh, yeah…that’s them all right.”

I got closer. “Sans, is anything wrong? Tell me, please.”

Sans moved an inch away. “No, no! Stop!”

“Eh?” It defeated me, what the pint-sized skeleton was afraid of. If I recalled, I did not steal his wallet.

The skeleton fixed his jacket. “Heh. It’s nothing. I just…”

The silence unsettled me a bit. “You yelled at me and said it was nothing.” I shook my head. “Are you kidding me?! Come on, spill it out.” I folded my arms. 

Sans kept his head down.

I was losing patience. “I’m waiting.”

Sans’ focus was elsewhere. He was now occupied with the trees and the rivers, or so it appeared. Eventually, he turned to me with a look that spelled out ‘I’m gonna rip you apart’, though I was not sure if his intention was that sincere. With Sans, you never know.

“Look, kid,” Sans tried to muster on. “I lied.”

“About what?” I questioned.

He sighed. “About the talking flowers.”

“What about them again?” 

“You deserve to know,” Sans said. “Lately, my brother has been getting these dreams, predictions about what is going to happen in the coming days. Paps said he got it from a talking flower, which I believe I have come across not long ago. In fact, I have had fishy dreams of my own. Even though not directly related to Paps’s, but I am not sure whether or not they are related in any way.” Sans took a breather before he continued. “I missed something…”

I shook. “Whoa! This is heavy stuff_”

“That is not all,” Sans retorted. “In my dream, or should I say, my nightmare, Paps…” Sans bowed. “Paps is dead. My dear brother, killed in action. I cannot explain. It’s hard to explain…”

The discussion of a flower, and the talking variation, brought me back to my own nightmares; my encounters with the dastardly devilish Flowey. “I think I know who, or what, the  _ talking flower _ is, all right.”

“So you have met him.”

I tried my best to tell Sans everything I knew. He stood listening, his hands fixed inside his deep pockets. “He tried to kill me, three times. I do not doubt he will try again, but fingers crossed. I guess I was a little lucky. I bit his vines the first time, while some dude in a river boat saved my butt the last time. It looks like I need a miracle to hang on.”

Sans did not look surprised. “The flower, or Flowey the Flower as Paps likes to call, is one hell of a demon. But hey, you’ve made it this far. He’s got nothing on you.”

I attempted to differentiate. “You sure about this?” 

“Positive, kid,” he responded with a wink. “Besides, he cannot outrun me. You know what I am capable of, so you can only guess what I can do to him.” Sans’ right eye socket beamed.

I watched as Sans tossed a kitten away from the path of a bicycle, and then putting the kitten on top of a tree, all that without touching the kitten with his bony hands. A minute later, his eyes returned to its normal, blank form. 

“Yeah,” I nodded firmly, “but you cannot defeat an immovable object.”

“To hell with that,” Sans remarked slyly. “I do as I please. The flower has to go. Kid, if you see him again, gimme a ring, will ya?”

I accepted the invitation, even though the suspicions hanging around myself and Sans did nothing to help our friendship. Either I have one friend and one enemy, or I could be tossed into another me-against-the-world debacle.

  
  



	17. Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunions are often a good thing...
> 
> Except when it is with a certain begrudged fish warrior out for blood.

Fatigue, after tirelessly wandering in foreign territory for as long as I could remember. A bunch of tree trunks stood near the sidewalk. Since they belonged to no one in particular, I leaned against one of them and shut down.

For awhile, I could see the stars aligning. I also witnessed their tiny battles inside the beautiful galaxy. My wish was to learn more about them, but I was rudely interrupted by a phone call.

“Hey, ya kiddo!” 

“Sans?” I surprised myself. “What’s up?”

“Something,” he replied. “You free now? If you are, come on down here.” I heard crackles from the speaker. “There’s something I need you to see.”

I gulped, uncertain about what this meeting would mean. What could be so important?

***

I made my way to the location Sans referred to. That was when I saw Sans. Again.

Sans studied the rummage; remnants of a wonderful convenience store owned by Little Louie. The weight of fallen ceiling floors were of no help, but Sans spotted dusts on the floor. Blood, too.

"Bingo," he said. "Come to daddy."

His glove equipped, he picked up a portion of that blood and then slid the glove inside a miniature test tube.

"What are you doing?" I asked. 

Sans turned. "Playing a game." He chuckled. “Some witnesses said they saw a talking flower thingy.”

I shrugged, letting out a sigh. My fists I gripped. "I mean, attack of the vines? Seems obvious to me who that is. But why? I don't know. Do you?"

"Nope," Sans replied. "Not one that I can think of."

"It has to be Flowey."

"Try a human flower," Sans remarked. I could feel his approach to me carried some weight.

"H-h-human flower?" I asked. "But this is not a kid's show, you know!" I took a deep breath. “Humans can’t possibly be flowers at the same time. It’s impossible!”

"I'm not pointing my finger to you. Although, if I find that it is you, and it really is you," Sans breathed in. His right eye glowed. "You're gonna have a bad time."

I was surprised Sans still had those intentions towards me. "I assure you, Sans, that I did not know a thing about-"

"HUMAN!!" The voice of Papyrus emanated from the back of a tree bark.

"I can see you," I said. "Come on out."

Papyrus sighed in defeat and joined. He proceeded to hug me.

"It's good to see you again!" he claimed. "Oh, I always long for the day when we walk down the aisle…” 

The suffocation subsided when he let go of me. I caught by breath. “What aisle?” I enquired.

“It’s what best friends do!”

I giggled. “Actually, it’s not_”

“It’s marriage, Paps,” Sans answered.

Papyrus gasped. “Oh, I see. Never knew that!”

Sans’s hands held on to Paps’s boney shoulders. “Now you do.” 

“So,” Papyrus’s eyes jinked left and right. “What do we do now?”

The three of us were surrounded by silence. 

***

The undying spirit and determination, Undyne shared with Asgore - the King - to rid the Underground of the violent epidemic known as humans. They stood to the principle that every human who fell from above shalt die. 

It appeared to me that Undyne’s disdain only grew by the days. A recollection of memories and profiles from Sans and Papyrus told me that as a child, she made it her goal to be a Royal Guardian. He would not want to make do with anything else. From the beginning, she caught the eye of Asgore. The posting came next, and she duly impressed. Promotion came naturally. On the other hand, Undyne could be all right. Only her aggression was difficult to treat. Papyrus was a reluctant casualty, for he did not care how many times his head bounced off the windows of Undyne’s home, courtesy of her training regime.

“She is a strong woman,” Papyrus. “I couldn’t think of any woman, or anyone, strong as she.”

Sans snickered. “Gotta say, she is kind of pec-uliar.”

“Oh, Sans, give it a rest!”

“C’mon, that was a good one, bro.”

Papyrus scowled. “Fine!” He turned to me. “What about you, human? Where do you wish to go?”

“I…” My stammering betrayed me. “I don’t know.”

“But you did say that you want to go home, don’t you?”

Home. The word reminded me of a fragment in my memory, that housed other little fragments. They resembled the appearances of those who matter to me. My eyes were wet with tears. I broke down. I punished myself for being forgetful.

My emotions I let out. “Mom...Dad…” I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry. I really wanna go…”

The lanky Papyrus comforted me with his warm hug, while Sans looked on. He was speechless. 

I recovered. “Sorry, guys, but I’ve been away from home. Though I still work to go back…”

“Kiddo.” Sans interrupted. He stared down my soul. “It’s okay. We feel that way...sometimes.” He sighed. “Look, let’s chill while we get you to someplace safe…”

I took comfort in Sans’s advice, although his change in behavior was compelling to say the least.

Papyrus raised his shoulders. “We would love to help,” he remarked. “But then, if you do want to leave, you will have to face Asgore…”

I gulped. “Who is Asgore?”

“He is the King!”

“Oh…”

“He may be a little...unpredictable…” He sighed. “But...but!”

Sans scratched his skull. “What are you saying, Paps?”

“He is a fluffy pushover!” Paps exclaimed, smiling. “I’m sure, with your pure heart, he will let you through the barrier without having to fight.”

Sans nodded. “But I gotta warn ya, kid. If you ever cross that line…”

“I know, I know!” I remarked. “I’m gonna have a bad time!” I walked a lot further and faster. “But I am no coward. I move ahead, and most importantly, I stay positive!”

Papyrus clapped his hands thoroughly. “Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!” he exclaimed. “That’s the spirit, human! Now, let’s walk along this road and_”

“Nobody move!” 

A voice emerged from the dark of the towering rocky hills. “Look what the skeletons dragged in.”

“Eh?” Papyrus enquired. “What may you be?”

“Seven.” The voice echoed. 

“Your name is Seven?” Papyrus asked. “Oh, I didn’t know-”

Sans stretched his hand. “Paps. Stop.” Papyrus’s obedience was a relief to Sans, but it was not an uncommon sight to see.

The figure, clad in helmet and body armor, rose above the tip of the hill. “Seven human souls. That’s what we need, to free us all from the darkness that is this world we live in. The Underground.”

“Oh, really?” I asked. “Tell me more.”

“We currently have six. The only thing standing between me and you, is my determination to end you. Make no mistake…” The figure unlocked the helmet to reveal a familiar amphibian named Undyne. “I will do whatever it takes to salvage my dignity, and the dignity of the Monsters in the Underground!”

I stared her down. “Oh, it’s you.” I gave the look that suggested I was unafraid, although I was actually trembling on the inside. “Care to allow us through? We...or I should say, I am in a hurry.”

Undyne made her descent. The ground ahead of me cracked. “You’re not going anywhere! Face me, head on!”

Papyrus gasped, while Sans looked unbothered. “Welp,” Sans say, “time to go. My shift is up. Good luck, kiddo.” Sans was gone before I turned around.

Undyne smirked. “This makes things easier.” She blazed to my path and chanted, “NNGGAAHHH!”

The amphibian struck with her colored arrows, breaking rocks and other obstacles that went in her way. I was without an offensive tactic, thus I climbed up the rocks. 

I glanced and pointed my tongue at the fish lady; it only infuriated her more. A rock I pushed with my foot to block her path. She showed no mercy by suplexing it to mere pieces. “You don’t get it, do you? There’s a reason I’m head of the Royal Guard!” 

She clawed her way up to join me. I got myself up the hill, but was late to attend to the approaching Royal Guardians; the same pack of dogs who I helped save. 

Dogamy swung his axe, while I made do with a toy knife. Regardless, Dogamy’s injuries were visually obvious. The swinging of the axe was ragged, and he looked out of sorts; his wife Dogaressa likewise. The axes made contact with each other once, causing them to vibrate awhile. I used this to take advantage, kicking Dogamy in his private parts. This was enough to put him down. 

Dogaressa was next. Upset that her husband lost the fight, she scowled and threatened to rip my head off. Her misfiring attacks made things easier for me. It was surreal to be chased by dogs on two feet, but mind-blowing to be chased by axe-wielding dogs. 

My heart beat proportionate to the speed of light, but I had to act fast. I dared to leap towards her, and then slashed her face with my toy knife. She bled but breathed easy; in fact, howling in defeat.

I landed on my two feet, obviously upset.A part of me wanted to end this. “I thought I saved your butts last time!” The knife was firmly gripped between my right fists..

“No...please…” a bruised Dogamy begged. 

Dogaressa echoed Dogamy’s insistence. “I-It was not our intention…”

My toy knife I hung on to. I had it flung upwards, ready to pounce on their helplessness, but I was pulled by my own consciousness. 

The knife stabbed the ground. I bowed. What was I thinking? I thought.

The two dogs sat still, petrified. Then, I felt my lungs getting crushed. “Ack!!”

“Miss me?” Undyne spilled out. “Did you forget about me?!”

“No…”

She grinned with intent. “Of course not. You are truly dead! My spears shall end you!”

The skies opened up and the glowing spears descended upon me. Undyne was having the time of her life. 

Out of nowhere came the flying axe of Dogamy, which landed on Undyne’s feet.

“NNNNYAAAHHH!” she screamed in agony. “Dogamy!!!”

I was out of there. The path to a cave, an uncharted territory, loomed ahead. Undyne pushed the couples aside. “I will deal with you two later,” she hissed before going after me again. 

She screeched. “Come back here, human! We have a score to settle!”

“No can do!” I uttered, my voice echoing through the walls . “I don’t make scores with creepers like you.”

The cave was an entry point to a certain place. The humidity was unbelievable; a huge contrast to Snowdin and the areas surrounding the Waterfall. Sweat rained down my back and forehead, and then I approached a guard post.

Sans stood there, eyes closed, probably grounded in his own dreams. I decided to not disturb, while Undyne’s fury escalated upon seeing the ‘help’ Sans provided.

I saw a laboratory in front. To my right was the river, and a dog-shaped boat parked on a little jetty. I turned around. The silence surprised me.

The spears were absent, but moments later, Undyne showed up, her skin as pale as an albino buffalo. On her feet, but soon, down on her knees. “Need...water…” she muttered. “So...hot…” She collapsed. 

The vicious warrior, relentless in her pursuit for glory, collapsed at my feet. I could have went on and leave, then come home to brag about victory, but that would not do me justice. I never intended to kill, nor leave one to die.

A water dispenser stood at the foreground of the larvae. A sign beside it mentioned ‘Hotland’. I took a few sips to get my energy back. The nearly inanimate fish was getting worse by the minute, so I splashed the remainder to her face.

Undyne came back to motion. Heavy panting and breathing, but she was alive and well. I stood magnificently, for a short time, for I refused to hang around for long.


	18. The Dark Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an undisclosed location, far removed from the intricacies and incongruousness of the Underground...

_Total darkness._

_The room was not built for comfort, or anything remotely close. Then again, its sole purpose for existing was tough to come to terms with. Varying noises emanated from an unknown location, giving a little bit of life to that room._

_Some call the room - and the surrounding walkways - a_ lost level - _just like an architectural design that was abandoned for many reasons unclear._

_The design was draped in pale gray, and life was scarce. A certain figure, pale-faced, shivered uncontrollably in the walkway. Another one, which resembled a large snake head, darted left and right, eager to explore his environment. He repeated the action before grounding to a halt. A grin was etched on his face._

_“He is coming,” he said._

_The shivering figure was alerted and duly sprang into the only room he could find. He ran past a similar-looking figure with little regard. The similar-looking figure was dead silent in the corner. He sprinted, and soon he came across a certain creature._

_An elderly Monster, clad in all black clothing. His skull had cracks for lines at each eye socket opening. He was seated in a manner that suggested he was meditating._

_“Boss!” the pale little figure explained, his shivers calmed when he exhaled. “They are coming. They are getting close.”_

_The taller figure in black gave a puzzled stare. He then gave an amusing grin. “Let him be,” he said. “Time will deal with him.”_

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist feels like somebody - or something - is watching his every move. He has no privacy!!

“The human is very determined…”

“Indeed,” the talking machine said. “He has a mouth, too. The perfect candidate.”

The bespectacled Monster shook her head. “I do not understand,” she replied with a slight stutter. “What is it that y-you want to do with the h-h-h-”

“Well,” Mettaton retorted, “let’s just say I have plans for that cutie pie.”

A dejected Undyne joined them in the Lab. “Make it quick. Spill it out. We have not enough time to save ourselves from this…this…”

“You can bet against it, Mrs. Royal Guard,” Mettaton laughed off his compatriot. 

“First of all, I’m not married,” Undyne sounded off. “Second of all…” She look the machine dead in his assortment of glass panels. “You dare talk to me like that, punk?!”

“Oh, my…” Mettaton bit his lip. “Alphys, darling, please get your girlfriend off my shiny, pretty face.”

The fish lady focused on the steel eyes of Mettaton. “I suggest you leave on your own terms!”

Mettaton duly agreed to part ways. “Fine, have it your way. I do not need to spill anything, for it is confidential…” He walked away with a smirk tched on his face. 

Alphys was laser focused on the contents of the cameras she hooked up around the Underground. “So glad this works,” she joyfully remarked. “W-we are at least one, or t-two, steps, ahead of the human…”

“Sounds neat,” Undyne replied, her arms folded as she also looked at the live footage. “Can this thing look at something else?”

“Well, it captures all sorts of images,” Alphys told his best friend. “After all, it is giving back live feed via satellite, just like the TV.” Alphys scratched her head. “Except that it is not.”

The way Undyne looked at Alphys signalled malicious intent. “You are spying on the others, aren’t you?”

Alphys shook her head. “I would never do that, Undyne. Never! It is against my will, and it is a crime punishable by law, and you said you are the law!” 

Undyne grinned like a boss.

Alphys paused, taking a deep breath. “Besides, I do not know everything. This is as far as it goes, b-b-because the King wanted to k-keep an eye on h-h-humans.”

Undyne gave the same weird look to Alphys, but she smiled and proceeded with a friendly pat on the back.  “Just do what you do, you nerd.” She hugged the nerdy scientist with her arms and let out a maniacal laugh; it looked as if being with Alphys gave her comfort from the bloody distractions of the Royal Guard. 

Before she departed, she uttered a warning. “Don’t kill the human, though,” she said to Alphys. 

Alphys was left surprised. “B-b-but...Undyne...w-what if they_”

“They won’t,” Undyne said. “But if they do...you  _ know _ what will happen.”

The scientist nodded and sighed. “Anything you say, Undyne. Take care!”

Undyne left with a grin that exposed her teeth. “Heck yeah! You, too!”

___

The coolness of the night became slightly mundane; soon replaced with a mixture of high humidity. I began to have a natural perspiration for the first time in quite a while. Nevertheless, I was unaware of my exact location. There were no GPS stuff to guide me through, but I have been fortunate, for some good samaritans lent a hand. 

Hours were spent on the trail, including the Ruins, where Toriel resided. She may mean little to me, but thoughts of her do circulate. Her kindness I had gratitude for; nothing could replace that. There was also the skeleton with superpowers, and his taller brother, but they were just hilarious. While Sans was already on watch duty, Papyrus was still learning the ropes, eager to be enrolled in the Royal Guard, in spite of being a bony structure in a team of dogs and a fish.

I encountered a little shop, with an aged hermit crab looking over it. The old crab seemed chatty and friendly, not unlike many that I have met down there. He even provided some items at a cheap price. I took the time to ask him a thing or two before I continued on my way.

“Say, young man,” the crab Gerson said, “it sure can be lonely for people like you down here.”

“Not really,” I reminded. “I met a friend or two. Just hope that I am able to keep them.”

“Now, you don’t need to go worrying about stuff like that. Life is short, ain’t got time for worrying. Heck, that was why I made one of my best decisions.”

“Opening a shop?”

“No, you silly little human! Well…” he sighed, “that may be true, but I tell you, I stopped worrying at a young age, and then I said to Mom and Dad, I wanna be part of the Royal Guard!”

I widened my eyes. “You are?”

Gerson grinned. “I was.” He chuckled. “The guarding ain’t  _ that _ easy, but it ain’t  _ that _ hard, either,” Gerson remarked with a warm smile that exposed his remaining teeth. “If there’s war, we go to fight for the nation of the Underground. We fight our enemies and keep the Delta Rune flag flying high. Yee-haw! Attaboy! When we don’t have war...we play hard! Yee-haw!!”

The intrigue led me to interrupt Gerson’s enthusiasm. “What is a Delta Rune?”

The octogenarian wasted no time to scribble through one of the many boxes in his shop. He turned back to me, holding a flag with a certain symbol. It looked  _ very _ familiar.

“I have seen this before,” I noted. “Though I could not really describe…”

“It is the flag of our nation. Purple is the national color. That is why the King and Queen wear purple. Their son, too, wears purple. Heck, even I wear a purple outfit in battle back then!”

“Hold on,” I butted in. “The King and Queen has a son?”

“Yup,” Gerson reacted with some humorous gesture. “King Asgore and Queen Toriel have been ruling over our heads for over two long decades. They are upper-class,” the crab winked. “And they have just one son, whose name I can’t remember well…but it’s not very far from the parents’ names.” 

I nodded, taking in the information for future reference. “Sounds cool.”

“Cool?” Gerson looked at me like I was a mischief maker. “Cool?! You kids always say the darndest things!” Gerson sighed. “All right, that is all I know. You know, my old self cannot remember my young self very well. I guess the right word to describe me is...rusty?!”

I chuckled, for the ageing hermit crab was full of wit. A lemon juice and some donuts and chips were among the things I purchased before I departed. It was great to know he sells with a cheap price. It was a wonder, however, that I was the only customer in the shop at that time. 

Strange, almost silent sounds came about, not far from where I stood. From my sights, there was no one, and as I moved a few metres, there was nothing either. 

The awkward but frequent rustling of the leaves left little room for thought. Sans could well be eyeing up on me, making sure I did not hurt anyone, but the skeleton intrigued me for a bit the last time I saw him. Either way, when I brushed the leaves off, there was nothing. The long walk home continued. 

It would be long, I believed, before I finally reach home. I thought, with the miles I walked then, I was still miles away from home. I checked to see if my phone was working, and it did; lucky me. Thus, I popped the music player up and sang along as I went.

_ When I wake up, _ _   
_ _ Yeah, you know I’m gonna be, _ _   
_ _ I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you. _ _   
_ _ When I grow up, _ _   
_ _ Yeah, you know I’m gonna be, _ _   
_ __ I’m gonna be the man who’s growing old with you…

Not the most catchy of tunes, but I digress.

For the most part, Snowdin had been ice cold. There was ice on anything imaginable; with exception being the library and some building interiors. Still, much fan was to be had, playing around with the Skeleton brothers; throwing ice at the great Papyrus, prank-testing the nefarious Sans, etc. 

Then, the time came for me to depart for a certain area that was covered with waterfalls. A breathtaking and calming sight, at the same time shielding its mysteries; the history and mythology of the Monster nation was engraved on stones and then placed on the walls near the falls. Upon discussions with experienced minds, it was clear that the stones told the triumph – and tragedy – of the whole nation, as well as a mention about someone they referred to, with great pride, as the first human.

_ First human _ , I thought.  _ Good to know I am not that person.  _

Contrary to initial belief, not all humans were refused by the Monsters. Not all hated us; only a select few, but the First Human was a revered figure, for he was said to be the adopted brother of the King and Queen. That automatically made him the Deputy Prince of the Underground. However, the reign was short-lived; the First Human died from ‘food poisoning’. 

From Gerson’s interpretation, it was a mournful period for not just the King and Queen, but all Monsterkind. After the First Human’s passing, the Prince – in an attempt to bury the First Human in his home land above – was attacked and severely injured. He died when he reached the Underground. The war between humans and Monsters would escalate. Chaos was certain.

Under the King’s leadership, order was restored. For a while, that was. Gerson did not tell me this, but I suspected the Queen no longer stayed under the same roof as the King. Last time I checked, I could not even tell Toriel was the Queen. 

Probably Toriel abdicated her throne, but then again, I had little knowledge about the politics in the Underground. Nevertheless, it proved an encouraging history lesson. My history teacher at school would be destroyed if she is to hear what I have to say, once I returned.

My head banged on many corners as I listened to the cheesiest and best pop tunes of all time. It was not a regret that I found a way to rip the music off of my dad’s CD and put it all on my little phone. 

After covering a few miles, I stopped to have a better view of my new location. The welcome sign meant I needed no further introduction. The sight of larvae emanating from the ground was frightening, but at the same time marvelous. Either way, no sane person would want to swim in it. The Monsters don’t.

A guard stopped me on my way. 

“Hey, dude,” the guard said, “you just…can’t get past here, dude. It’s off limits, man!”

I responded, “Why, thank you. I will be on my way out…dude.”

I did not actually leave Hotland, but instead chose to enter a certain laboratory that piqued my senses.


	20. The Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The laboratory could be a scary place...
> 
> What does the protagonist find there??

In spite of the innovative designs and equipment inside the laboratory, one wondered, how easy it was to access. The absence of an alarm system baffled me, or it could be that the Monsters take a different approach to security.

The security cameras monitored my every move. Good thing they were not installed on bathrooms or cafes, else I had to face a crushing humiliation. 

I encountered a certain dinosaur-like Monster, clad in lab coat and sporting rounded spectacles. I used to have one, too, but ditched it for the comfort of a more rectangular variation. 

Either way, the creature overheard my footsteps. She gasped. “Oh my…”

“Pardon me,” I spoke up. “I just dropped by. I am on my way out of…”

The figure interrupted me. “H-hi…y-you must be a H-h-human. What can I do for you?”

“Nothing so far,” I remarked. “I was just visiting…Wow!”

The sight of a large monitor display made jump with joy. “That is so cool! Wonder how it works. What does it do?”

“Erm…I think I should introduce myself…”

“Oops!” I lamented. “Sorry for being rude.”

“I-It’s okay…I-I am Alphys. And you are…?”

I told her my name and smiled, but her stammering got worse. Her apprehension and anxiety were, for the most part, difficult to fathom. Nonetheless, I did my best to limit the conversation.

“Y-y-you must be the Human,” Alphys said, “that Undyne talks about.” Her cheeks brightened, but then she knelt. 

“What’s going on?” I enquired.

“P-P-please don’t hurt m-me!” she exclaimed. “T-take whatever you want, b-but don’t kill me!” She seemed out of her wits. “Oh, how I f-failed Undyne, and Mettaton, too!”

I resisted her plea. “Stop it! I won’t hurt you.”

Alpys was still on her knees, crying and begging for mercy. I touched her shoulders and looked to her eyes. “Stop. Alphys, stop. I’m not here to hurt you. Honest.”

I let go. Alphys wiped her tears. “Y-you really mean that?”

“I’m here because…” I paused. “Alphys, is this your lab?”

Alphys nodded.

“Then, you  _ are _ a scientist.”

Alphys nodded again.

“Good,” I said. “I need to see if you can help me with a few things?”

“L-like what?”

“Have you heard about a talking flower?”

Upon hearing the words talking flower, she gulped. She appeared to know more than I initially thought. “W-what do you need to know about t-them?”

I tried to briefly describe my meetings with the abominable Flowey. Alphys looked as if she was about to throw up at times, but she kept her cool. 

“I need to know more,” I insisted. “It’s hard enough that he keeps showing up out of nowhere. He’s also started to attack your own kind. I don’t know what’s up with that!”

Alphys finally broke her temporary silence. “W-well...Flowey is...h-he used to be an empty vessel. He was a f-flower,” she remarked, “taken from King Asgore’s garden. J-just a flower. N-nothing inside. But the King put his trust on me, to perform experiments on soulless beings...and those with a soul.”

“Why?”

“It’s just…one of those t-t-things that is never explained.” Alphys shrugged. “At the same time, I-I wanted to impress the K-king so much. I accept the job, being a fresh graduate and all, y-you know…”

“And then you worked with the flower? But how does Flowey become-”

“It’s a long story. A long story that n-n-not many are w-willing to know, or hear.”

“I am,” I insisted. “Just tell me about Flowey.”

I gave a reassuring nod. Alphys bowed, but soon kept her head up. “All right. Here it goes. It all started when r-r-residues of Monster dusts are found scattered all over t-t-the Underground. While some disappeared, there are uncountable dusts that s-s-survived.”

“Survived?”

“Yes! You see, a Monster’s essence lives on even after death, but only inside the Monster dust. When I found out about this, I t-t-thought it would be a good idea to t-t-try using them for m-m-my experiments.”

I nodded in approval. “Go on.”

“I managed to r-r-revive dead Monsters, too!” Alphys exclaimed in joy. “Although,” she shrugged, “they are not the same as they were, b-b-before they ‘died’, if you know w-w-what I mean...”

“I need not ask much about the experiments,” I said. “I assume you have carried out a lot of them…”

Alphys nodded. “It is a h-h-h…”

“A hobby.”

“Yes, that’s true.” Alphys sighed. “Biron…”

“Yeah?”

“I...I…”

I was speechless, wondering what was coming out of the dinosaur’s mouth. 

“I am sorry,” she admitted. “I thought that y-y-you came here to a-a-attack m-me, but it looks like you are not_”

“I have no reasons to attack,” I replied. “I may be a human, but don’t let anyone fool you into thinking…” I paused. “That one man’s behavior determines the behaviors of other men.”

She nodded swiftly. “Y-y-yes, sir…”

“Anyway,” I recollected. “The dust. Is that the ingredient used to make Flowey?”

“Indeed it is. At first, it’s just r-r-random dust particles found on the g-g-grounds near the Ruins. I converted the dust into lighter particles, so that it would fit inside the bottles of syringe and test tubes. Who knows, I might n-n-need them for other t-t-things…”

“Who could have known?” I winked. “Those are  _ your _ private experiments.”

Alphys took a deep breath. Release. “The first day after the injection into the flower, I was enjoying m-m-my cartoon shows w-when I heard s-s-screams. V-v-voices from m-my lab. I left my couch and I get to s-s-see...Asriel.”

My eyes nearly popped out. “Asriel? Who is Asriel?!”

“It’s Flowey...o-or what he used to be…”

Unconsciously, I delved into a realm of scientific methods that escaped my thought. “What?”

“He still knows h-h-himself...but that was quite a l-l-long time ago. He asked for his m-mom and dad. He asked for Lady Toriel and King Asgore. His p-p-parents…”

“Wait a minute.” I made no secret I was baffled. “Asriel is Flowey? And Flowey is the son of Toriel and Asgore?” I chuckled. “No wonder the name sounded familiar. It’s a combination! How silly of me.”

“That’s not all,” Alphys reminded me. “As days went by, Asriel showed l-l-less a-and less care, or any emotion for that matter. Then, there came a time, when I approached him in the lab. I asked, ‘Asriel…? Are you all right?’. He replied to me, ‘Alphys...Asriel is dead. And so are his memories. Memories...that I do not need. Memories...that I choose to destroy from my existence, for the sake of my own existence. From now on, you just call me Flowey.’”

Alphys started to break down. “A-a-and when I m-m-make mistakes, sometimes h-h-he would t-t-threaten me...It’s all s-s-scary…”

“Scary.”

I handed some tissues to Alphys. She continued, “H-h-he would never c-c-come back again after h-h-he stormed out of the lab…”

Alphys shared more stories. After all she said, I began to understand - with some amount of depth - the tale of Flowey. His origins. His manifestation. And even though Alphys did not mention it, his  _ desire _ .

I stood from the little stool. Alphys remained seated. “Thanks, Alphys,” I said, smiling. “Had it not been for you, I would still be wondering about that wicked flower.” 

Alphys returned a warm smile. It felt good to see her lighten up after all those tearful anecdotes. “B-b-be safe, B-b-b…What is your name again?”

“It’s Biron.”

“Okay!” she exclaimed. “Be safe, Biron!” 

I waved goodbye. I knew what I needed to know, even though it appeared - that she knew more.


	21. The Lady and the Spider Donut

Alphys was done for. The path in front was without its usual share of plucky, pointy creatures ready to pounce at my demise. The humidity reduced, I sighed in relief as the chills from the wind come to me.

The air more bearable, making it more convenient to waltz around. No longer do I bathe in my own sweat. I scouted for perfumes but the Monsters of the Underground did not have it. Perhaps their physical features dispelled the heinous body odor.

I exited out of a door that was barely three feet tall. Regardless, I witnessed a row of shops. A mini bazaar, put simply. Still no perfumes, though. I was left to stink; what was a boy to do?

The merchants were mostly all smiles. There was a peculiarity; one spider lady, purple-colored skin, hair tied on two sides. She resembled the adorable, young neighbor next door, but even in her youth, she had to earn a living by selling what looked like an assortment of spider-shaped snacks, and two loaves of croissant.

To my horror, those were real, dead spiders kept in the jars. _Spider selling spider snacks_ , I thought. _My day is always so good._

The spider lady turned to me. “Pardon monsieur,” she said. “A human? What brings you down here?”

I shrugged.

She smiled. “No worries, but please, dear human. Please buy any one of these wonderful spider donuts. I made them myself.” Her grin grew; a cause for discomfort. “I hope to raise funds, to save my friends and family who are stuck in Snowdin.”

I was feeling hungry. “How much for that croissant?”

“The croissant,” she said, “is 300G.”

I stumbled. “What?! Ridiculous!”

“Yes,” she replied, her tongue licking round her mouth. “For that price, and that price _only_. No change.” She concluded her persuasions with a wicked wink. I assume her younger siblings crept out of her dress and other places, including where creatures were not supposed to come out from.

I had nothing against people - or Monsters - of different ethnicity, but this spider thing’s accent , and her ludicrous business deal, caused my blood to boil. I decided to part ways, with hope of attaining dinner elsewhere. Even crumpled slices of potato could be adequate at this moment. On my way, a dude dressed in a suit sat holding a donut. A spider donut. His face told a tale of a petrified soul. Poor thing; may have lost all his dough for one useless donut.

The phone rang. I answered. “Yeah?” I asked. “Who may-”

“Human!!” an ecstatic Papyrus exclaimed. “It’s been a while…”

I muttered. “Mm, hmm…”

“I was wondering, human,” Papyrus stated. “Would you like to, you know, go out with me?!”

“Sure thing,” I replied. “How are you and Sans?”

“My brother and I are always in good spirits, as usual. Thank you for asking!”

I chuckled at his extreme enthusiasm. “It’s my pleasure.”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine. Just dropped by a spider donut stall.”

“Did you buy a spider donut?!”

“No way!” I retorted. “Too expensive. I don’t have a hundred gold with me. Who does she think she is?”

Papyrus giggled. “Well, that’s Little Miss Muffet for you! Always up to her little schemes.”

“If I recall, she isn’t exactly a ‘Little Miss’. More like a grown…”

“I know!! Isn’t life just great? They grow up so fast!”

Sans interrupted. “Heh. Sure thing.”

I scratched my head. “I’ve...got nothing much to say for now.”

“In that case, let ME be the chatterbox! I have a voice of inspiration and I bring joy to all! Nyeh-heh-heh!”

 _Positivity_. That was something Paps has, in abundance. Rarely, if ever, had I believed in the power of positivity, till Paps showed up.

A smile etched on my face. “Sure you are,” I said.

“Why don’t we hang out at my house?!”

“I believe we did that before.”

Papyrus was silent, but in a few seconds came back to life, like a dynamite. “Oh, I know, I KNOW!”

“What’s up with that?”

“We’ll meet up at Undyne’s house!”

I gasped. “Seriously?! She tried to k_”

“Come on! It’s gonna be fun!” Papyrus’s teeth was chattering. “I won’t tell her. It will be a surprise, nyeh-heh-heh!”

A sigh. I wiped my forehead. “I will see through it. See you then.”

“Okie-dokie!”

My reactions to certain situations baffled me to no end. A meeting with Undyne on the way, I may have just booked my funeral.  
  



	22. Not Again!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting with Undyne at the latter's house smells like trouble...and obviously fish.

“What on Earth?” 

I howled like a wolf. A dog-boat I rode; a shortcut to the Waterfall.  _ A death wish _ , I thought.  _ What was I thinking? Why go to Undyne’s house, after all of those battles? _

I made the decision out of empathy for Papyrus, who often kept me company on the phone. I held my breath, and let go.  _ Whatever _ , I believed. My fingers crossed; I hopped on to a boat and headed straight to Waterfall. The distance equivalent to the difference of height between me and Sans; it surprised me to know of few shortcuts like this. 

The fare was paid to the cloaked sailor. I ran past a little neighborhood not far from Old Man Gerson’s convenience store and a damaged telescope, and then I noticed a peculiarly designed house. It resembled the head of a fish. An  _ angry _ fish.

Papyrus sat facing the bare ground. As my feet moved closer, he turned and stood. 

“HUMAN!” he screamed. “It’s great to see you.”

“Shh,” I whispered. “I don’t want to let her know_”

Papyrus remembered the ‘surprise’ he wanted to pull. He ordered me to stay behind him.

Three knocks, and the door was opened. Undyne, clad in street clothes, rubbed her eyes and then held on to the door.

“Uh? What do you_” 

“UNDYNE!” Paps exclaimed in joy. “How nice to meet you again.”

“Hey, ya, bonehead!” Undyne remarked. “Yeah, it’s good to see you, too. Where have you been?”

“The bigger question is,” Paps smirked. “Where have  _ you _ been?”

Undyne gulped. “Well…” Head scratch. “I’ve been...somewhere…” 

“You went to battle? Have you caught a human?!”

Undyne sighed. “No, Papyrus. I got nothing.”

Paps held Undyne’s shoulder. “Aww, no need to feel down. The Great Papyrus will get ready some spaghetti, just for you!”

The fish lady held her head up. She then smiled. “Thanks, Paps.”

“And before I forget,” Papyrus said, “here is a little surprise just for you.”

_ Uh-oh _ , I thought.  _ What are you doing, Paps? I don’t wanna go through this again! _

Unfortunately, Paps moved to the side. All of a sudden, I became vulnerable. 

Undyne gave a stare without saying a word. Her silence broke soon. “Oh…it’s you.”

“Wow!” an ecstatic Papyrus claimed. “Undyne, you know this human?!”

Undyne shrugged. “Yeah, but…”

“Wonderful!” the skeleton exclaimed. “I don’t mean to brag,” he said with a chuckle, “but, not only did I manage to capture the human, but it appears I’ve also tamed him! Nyeh-heh-heh!”

I giggled and shrugged. Undyne seemed to be having none of it. “It seems that way.” She paused. “Hey, come on inside!” 

Paps followed his mentor into the house. I stood still, fearing another round of spears, stones and torn clothes. That notion was demystified, when Undyne reemerged in front of the door. 

“What are you waiting for, punk?” she asked in her coarse voice. “I already told you to come in.”

I apologized and made my way inside. The home was modest, but adequate for a Monster of Undyne’s calibre. A broken window stood still, its hinges barely holding. Cereal boxes were in abundance on the dining table, and the smell of spilled white milk was difficult to hide. 

Undyne tossed the cereals away, while Papyrus and I seated ourselves on dated stools. She joined us not too long afterwards.

“Undyne has always been a great teacher to me,” Papyrus explained. “She taught me how to fight, but most importantly, how to be myself in battle.”

“I’m glad you think of me that way,” Undyne said with a smile. 

“Undyne, do you know that the human is quite the magnet? He loves to go on dates!”

I retorted. “No way! I don’t wanna date girls.”

“Nyeh-heh-heh!”

“Paps is joking,” I said to Undyne. “Anyways, sorry,” I calculated my thoughts. “Sorry for running away.”

The fish, though at first showed great hostility to me, seemed to have turned over a new leaf. Her face did not read,  _ I am going to kill you, _ but instead it was a tad softer; more relaxed.

“Look, kid,” she said. “You don’t have to. I have to admit, after that battle I had with you, it taught me…” She paused. “A lot more than I thought I knew. You see, I used to be the leader of the Royal Guard. I still am. I am always determined to fight for what’s right. Yet, when it comes to humans, it appeared to me that I was too quick to judge. I always thought humans were heartless killers.”

“Why?” I enquired. “What makes you feel that way?”

“They did kill some of my ancestors. Besides, King Asgore is always telling us to never let a human survive. Any human who falls down here must die, according to him.”

I gulped. “That’s creepy!”

Papyrus looked bored, his head laid bare on the table. “He’s a fluffy pushover.”

“Kid,” Undyne said and touched my shoulder. “You let me live. After all I did, or tried to do to you, I thought that you would never bother.”

I held her hand and put it off my shoulder. “I saved you, because that’s what I do. I know you’re a nasty fish lady-”

Papyrus jumped up. “Hey! Don’t say that about Undyne!”

Undyne stopped Papyrus. “It’s okay, Paps. Let the human speak.”

“I know you’re a fierce fish lady,” I said, “but it would do me no good, if I just leave you to die under the heat at Hotland. To me, it’s common sense.”

Undyne’s spirit was elevated. “Wow, you do care! C’mere, punk!”

Her muscular frame hugged me and Papyrus with brute force. I gasped for air when she finally let go. 

“Do not try that again!” I exclaimed in exasperation.

***

 

Spaghetti - thoroughly prepared by Papyrus - was put in a large bowl. The three of us dined together. It defeated me; how my biggest enemy turned into a close friend, given a set of circumstances beyond control. The circumstances, this time, built a bond between not only me with Paps, but also with Undyne.

Paps’s training also took place that same day. A few bruises were inevitable, but Paps took it like a man. He also leapt through the broken window,  _ like a boss _ . 

Undyne grinner, exposing her sharp teeth. “I don’t bother to fix the window,” she mentioned to me, “because Paps is gonna break it anyway. Fohohoho!”

  
  
  
  
  



	23. Freak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is up in the air, and it does not look like a good sign for the protagonist.

A dab of local-brand cologne was installed on Papyrus’s ears, presumably for recreational purposes. I felt I could do with a light stroll in an abandoned park, just a block from Undyne’s. He was all ears, and I promptly sprinted when he gave the nod. He ran after me; such was the advantage of possessing zero fat and all bones, that he eventually beat me to the park.

Desolation was close company to the park. I heard from Papyrus that, once they officially closed down, no one bothered to come back. A pity, for I could still make out the remnants of a swing and a slide; pretty much a quarter of what was left from an amusement park for children.

I sat on the swing and reminisced of the days when I used to rock it out on similarly-designed parks near my hometown. Those days were not too long ago, but time seemed unimportant in the Underground. I had a hunch that, once I returned to the surface world, I would be an adult.

Not that I wanted it to happen so soon. I hate adult life.

Papyrus stood by the sidelines, arms folded. His hand stroking his chin, and then came a sparkle under his thick skull. “A-ha!” he exclaimed. “Flowers!”

He pointed at three rows of flowers. The flowers were all of similar dimensions. I only got a glimpse of them, although I believed I have seen one just like that.

Papyrus touched a flower. Nothing happened. “Strange. The last time I came over, it talked.”

Another flower. “”Can you hear me?!” Papyrus did not get any response. It irritated him.

Sweat dropped from his forehead. “Must be one of them,” he muttered. A touch on the third flower. The flower had its vines dispersed, surrounding the skeleton’s right hand.

“Nyaaahhh!!” Papyrus screamed.

I leapt off and attempted to free him, but the ground shook. My head knocked on the ground; my body betrayed me and followed where my head went.

Unconscious I fell, and I could make out voices.

The park and the houses nearby became shrouded in blinding darkness. The vibrations from beneath the ground made the impression that Doomsday was coming. Soot emanated from down below, challenging Papyrus’s vision and concentration.

He eventually concentrated, but he appeared to stall. My motionless body could feel his movements here and there, but for a while, he did not.

A familiar name echoed from his mouth. “F-f-flowey?”   
The smoke, once thick, dissipated gradually to reveal a figure that was a cause for nightmares. _Flowey. He is back._

I could not feel a thing, but I knew Papyrus risked getting himself hurt. Even worse, Flowey could take his soul.

“You remember,” Flowey said. “Howdy, pardner! It’s been a while…”

Chuckles from a souled flower. Shortness of breath, perhaps from exhaustion or surprise from a trembling skeleton.

“Y-y-yes,” Papyrus struggled. “Yes! It’s been a while, b-b-but Flowey, w-w-why are you so b-b-b-”

“Don’t worry,” Flowey remarked. “It’s the attitude that counts. And boy, do I have an attitude today.”

Too late. His vines caught my weak vessel, the force nearly ripping my head off.

“Hey!” Papyrus managed to muster. “Wh-what are you doing? He’s one of_”

He rose from the ground, portraying a towering figure. He took no time to shut Papyrus’s mouth, with another set of vines. “One of us? One of us?! Is that what you have in mind? Is that what you were going to say?!”

Papyrus was heavily petrified. “B-b-but_”

The vines reached inside the eyes of the skeleton, reaching out to his soul.

“There, there,” Flowey said. “It’s sad to see this soul fall at the wrong hands, but....”

“Please...n-n-no…”

Flowey was not amused. “Silence!!” he exclaimed. “You have FAILED ME! I thought I told you to kill the human and take his soul. It’s easier for you. But noooo...you choose to take the friendly route. You want to make friends.” Flowey spat on the ground. “Am I not a friend to you? Am I not enough?!”

Flowey’s chuckle gradually increased in volume. “As a matter of fact, now that I think of it, you did help me. I have got the human, right here, right now. I have to _thank_ you, Papyus. I remembered I first told you to bring the human here. When the human got a little, let’s say, annoying, I told you to kill him. You passed your first mission, but failed the second. But thank you!” He was full of joy, bursting into deep laughter.

More vines propped up, this time carrying a human being. While I was still breathing under the layers that Flowey procured, the other human was not moving at all. There was no sign of life in that vessel.

Flowey was prepared to tell a story, while I begged for freedom. This all seemed a bit too familiar, and my memory had not betrayed me.

“Unlike you,” Flowey said, staring into Papyrus’s eyes, “I have succeeded, in killed a human. It was...difficult, but I did it! He was annoying at first, trying to kill me by eating me alive, but I outsmarted him.” Flowey grinned. “I took over his body, beat him to within an inch of his life, and then ripped open his soul. It was,” as Flowey his way put it, “delicious.”

I almost threw up spaghetti. Papyrus broke down in fear.

The flower resembled a dark, towering monstrosity; a far cry from the small creep that plagued my journey in the past. I believed that consuming a soul made him a lot stronger.

 

 

 


	24. A Major Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowey returns to make an impact, and he's got the protagonist and Papyrus as hostages...
> 
> The lights were then shut, leaving the area in total darkness...

Cold, cold heart, in a dark, dark world.

I wished to reach my knife and cut the layers of vines that wrap around my body. This time, the vines were thicker, and I almost suffocated. I tried to breathe easy, but what a challenge that appeared to be.

Papyrus was still crying, his skeletal frame then coming to view; limp and helpless, he was another captive at the hands of Flowey.

“I’ve got little use for you,” Flowey muttered. “Be gone!”

He flung Papyrus at a rate of 10 yards, and grinned with his teeth. He turned his attention to my shaking, struggling body.

“H-h-help!” I shouted. “Somebody, help! Sans! Undyne! Toriel!!”

But nobody came.

Flowey’s creepiness escalated. “Go on. Call for help.” His laughter reeked of insanity and pure evil. “You’re not gonna make it...pardner!!”

The vines retracted from my mouth. “I am!” I exclaimed. “I’m ready to fight! Let me go, and I...I…”

The flower became agitated. He ordered the vines to shut me up again, and they duly obeyed. “You…idiot…” Maniacal laughter ensued. “In this world, it’s kill…or be killed! Since you’re too chicken to admit you've lost, don’t you loooove how it’s gonna end?”

No strength in me. His trash talking amplified his self-pride, but reinforced my annoyance. Not that it mattered to him, for his diamond-shaped arms came within inches of piercing through my skin.

A certain glowing blue laser beam struck and split the flower’s arms. Green moisture splattered on the ground. The flower screeched. I dropped to the ground.

Flowey scowled. “YOU!!” he screamed.

“Meh,” said Sans, the latecomer to the party. “It’s me. As usual.”

“I thought I told you,” Flowey said, pointing his vines, “to stay out of my business.”

Sans snickered. "Really? Guess I didn’t read the memo.”

Flowey slapped his face. “You don’t even keep a memo.”

“Touche.”

“You come here, determined and poised to save your puny little brother, and that sack of dirt human.” Flowey inched closer to Sans. “Well, news flash: it ain’t gonna be easy.”

Flowey was grinning like a maniac, again. Sans stood without bother. He smiled. “Glad you think of me that way_”

Sans stepped away as soon as he heard the ground shaking. The vines propped out and began to chase him as he leapt away. An intense amount of energy Sans mustered, to jump from one platform to another, to avoid being caught. He seemingly lost them, but then he made an error.

He slipped off Undyne’s roof, and fell on the path of a layer of vines. The vines closed when he landed on them.

“Gotcha!” Flowey exclaimed. “Now, I’ve beaten both skeleton brothers. They’re useless against a supreme being like me!!”

It was not over. Deep within the vines where Sans was trapped, beamed a light in deep blue. What followed was an explosion that knocked the vines off by a couple of feet.

Flowey hissed. “That’s it! Prepare for the biggest transformation of your life…”

My knife firmly gripped, I charged like my life depended on it. I aimed for the flower's face, but he was a lot faster this time. He caught my legs, while the knife flung and stabbed the ground.

Flowey chanted verses that sounded like a certain meditation mantra, except that this ‘mantra’ sounded sped up and remixed, that it was no better than the original. Either way, the verses worked for him; so much that he was able to destroy nearly everything around him.

He wanted to destroy me, and probably Papyrus, so badly. It was well within his reach.

Then, everything dimmed.

The floodlights shut, sending the neighborhood into total darkness. My eyes closed, as I was not able to see anything at this rate.


	25. A Friend from Above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist finds himself in the midst of all the cobwebs that keep him from reaching his true goal.
> 
> At the same time, he came across a peculiar friend...

My head felt like it just went through a ton of bricks. My fists punched the surface, while my eyes shut themselves. I could hardly feel my legs; they were as limp as cold sausages.

The head recovered, but my body betrayed me again. There was not an ounce of motivation to bounce back on my feet.

Dreams, which were vivid and vicious in nature, haunted me. Voices crept in, whispering alien sentences.

_ Dark, darker, yet darker. _

_ Photon readings negative. _

_ You killed them! Stay away!! _

_ AAAAAIIEEEE!! _

_ Blurp! Blurp!  _

_ I don't like it... _

Besides that, I saw a child being beaten with plenty of force, for nothing more than wanting to play outside. I also saw a little goat who turned into a very familiar face.

“Howdy,” the flower said, grinning. “I’m Flowey. Flowey, the flower-” 

The ground broke beneath me. He grew and grew and never stopped growing. His face resembled a crazed goblin.

The stuff of nightmares.

All the dreams that - if they really happened - could well land me in the psychiatric ward. My calmness was tested, but it all ended when I finally opened my eyes. I sighed in relief.

It was only after a light massage to the back of my head, that I realized I was back in the Underground. In Hotland, to be exact.

The bazaar was not full as life like before. The sightings of spiders and scorpions overlooking a munched croissant offered little comfort. Something definitely had changed, and I needed to find out.

The sound of the rivers convinced me to keep going. The road home seemed like a never-ending story, now more than ever.

The bazaar I left behind, only to embark on a trail full of cobwebs. 

I had no choice but to carry on, since there was only one path. 

I walked on them, and heard a familiar chuckle. “I heard,” she said, “that a certain human hates spiders.” 

Amusing. “That they rather leave us with no money, no help, to save ourselves from the cold.”

The chuckles became louder. “I also heard…” A pause.

A familiar face emerged, at a slow pace, from the shadows. “That they can easily be killed, like how they kill spiders.”

Enter the spider lady.

“Spider lady!” I exclaimed. “I request permission to go through-”

She pulled me towards her, with cobwebs of her own. Her face etched closer to mine. I heard growls from my stomach.

“It’s Muffet,” she revealed herself. “And you won’t get out of here. You’re going to stay here and play, forever!” Her squeaky laughter echoed throughout the area. “My brothers, take the human!”

Something moved on my back. “Wait...aaahh!” 

Too late. I could not break free. The webbing was too much. My head truddled left and right as I sought for a way out. 

Metres away from me lie a certain human-like figure, clad in a predominantly red costume, with some shades of blue on the sides. The costume included a spider logo on the front and back, and was designed to look like the same webs that were keeping me afloat.

The figure appeared to be struggling. “Can’t...get...free of this…”

I opened my mouth. “Hey! Costume man!”

“Huh?”

“Costume man!”

“It’s Spider-Man!”

“Sorry,” I muttered. “How did you get here?”

“Same thing I asked myself a while back.” He nodded. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

“School sucks,” I muttered.

“Oh, you skip school, kid? Way to go! Mom would be proud…”

The sarcasm I rebutted. “No, I actually want to find my way back home. However, it looks like the spider lady, Muffet wants to keep me here.”

“She’s off her rockers. A pity it is. She’s pretty and all, but_”

“Euw!! Gross!”

“Relax,” Spider-Man chuckled. “Just teasin’.”

“Why are you here? I mean, you are the  _ Spider-Man _ . Did you fight with Muffet? Did you buy her donuts?”

The costumed man shook his head. “I don’t consume living creatures. And I suppose you don’t, too.”

“Never,” I tensed. 

“She doesn’t take too kindly to anyone who trespasses without paying a fortune for her spider donuts. That being said,” Spidey shook, “I’m stuck here with no clue how to save myself.”

It took me a while to figure out, but this Spider-Man is well-known from where I came from. People made books and movies about his adventures in fighting crime.

“I just fell down. I wanna go home so badly.” I shrugged. “It looks like, each time I take one step forward, I go two steps backward. Silly, don’t you think?”

“Happened to me many times,” Spidey said. “Not bothered to think about it. But I just move on, ‘cos that’s what a true hero does.”

“Anyway, you haven’t really answered my question. Why are you down here?”

“Well, for starters, I didn’t fall down like you. However, I was trying to track down a giant lizard. I believe he and his reptilian friends are not far from here. Sometimes, I could sense they are close.”

“Reptilian friends?” I shook my head. “Is this some kind of costume event, or_”

“Nope,” Spidey pointed out. “Look, the Lizard is my friend, Dr. Curt Connors. He is a surgeon who lost his arm, and he successful grew it back by injecting a fraction of lizard DNA into himself. However, this injection has its side effects…”

Spidey’s head met a tingling sensation. “Like that one.”

I followed Spidey and looked down. Like he pointed out, a giant lizard man and his lizard companions. I assume this Dr. Connors was clad in lab coat, not different from that of Dr. Alphys. His followers were bare with nothing to cover their solid skin. 

“They are technically lizards, aren’t they? Does that mean, their tails will grow if we cut?”

“Yes, they do. But I brought a serum that I hope can restore them to their human form. It’s made using Dr. Connors’s formula.” 

I nearly lost it. “Hold on!” I exclaimed. “If Dr. Connors turned himself into the Lizard on purpose, how did he get to make a formula to return to normal?”

“He did not. It was a major accident with the lizard DNA. The formula was something I got from his lab, and tried to mimic it on my own.”

“You’re a spider, and a genius!”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Spidey pointed his head to an incoming spider. “But we haven’t got time to waste.”

The giant 4-legged creature crept in closer. It was clothed in a cupcake dress.

“Yeesss,” Muffet remarked. “Eat them alive, brother! They deserve it.” 

The lizards departed, but the approaching spider was the bigger concern this time.


	26. A Kiss of Luck

The spider crawled on our path. That big insect could easily make a meal out of our heads, but there was a catch: it moved too slowly.

That was the break I need. Minutes after minutes spent reaching for the ever useful toy knife. Finally, when I could feel it, I flung it and succeeded to cut the cobwebs that bind a large portion of my body. My hands I freed, although my back was still tied up. Regardless, I helped get Spidey out of a similar predicament.

“Good God!” I screamed, when the spider held Spidey’s arms.

The spider growled with vice. Spidey was quick to act. The knife I handed to him, and that he used to deal a blow to the spider’s arms. The spider reacted with a roar.

The roar released a crew of smaller spiders on our path.

I began to panic. “There’s too many of them!”

Spidey did not reply, instead slicing cobwebs off of him, till he was completely free.

Muffet was livid. “Sacre bleu!” she exclaimed. “Spiders, attack!!”

Spidey leapt to my path. His body mass was slowly pulling me down.

“What are you doing?!” I asked. “We could fall, and that means we die!”

“Not on my watch,” Spidey said. “Hold on tight, kid!”

He pressed two fingers to his left wrist, and webbing shot itself out from there. Spidey jumped and we hung on, the webbed line giving adequate support.

Amazed. “How did you do that?” I asked. “I thought you are a man.”

“Let’s just say,” the spider guy commented, “I learned my trade, my way. C’mon, let’s scram.”

We got past the only path to the next area, and Spidey dropped me when the chattering noises from above became less obvious.”

“Dude,” I said, “I totally owe you one.”

“No, thanks,” Spidey replied. “It’s my responsibility. Like a great man once told me, _with great power comes great responsibility_.”

The words beamed through my ears like laser. They struck a chord in the eardrums. I nodded without question.

Spidey looked like in a hurry. “Where are you going?” I enquired.

“To find Dr. Connors,” Spidey replied. “I need to find him, and get us both out of here.” Spidey paused momentarily. “I will be back for you.” He pulled a thin piece of paper from his tiny pocket. “Call this number, just in case you need help. I hope I’m around to answer, but yeah, you can try!”

I left Spider-Man to his _responsibility_ , while I caught my breath. My phone I checked; thankfully, still working. I dialed Papyrus’s number, but the line went dead. The same for Sans and Undyne. Went through the list and saw Toriel’s number. _Sweet, sweet_ Toriel.

 _I wish I could tell her, how much I missed her_ , but she was not around to answer the phone.

It could well be a line problem. The Underground was notorious for limited power in terms of radio transmission. _If only they make use of their magic power, to make better telephone coverage._

Chattering noises. _They have returned._

“Fufufufufufu!” Muffet chuckled. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”

“I’m smart enough,” I slyly remarked.

Muffet emerged from the darkness. “It’s time that I do something to you that no one else has done…”

Her hand gripped the toy knife, which Spidey and I left behind.

“I believe that this is going to hurt,” she remarked with a grin. “I will finally have my revenge.” Squeaky laughter commenced.

Muffet flung the knife like a professional meat cutter, but a little spider friend, dressed in postal uniform, interrupted her momentum.

She scowled. “What now?” she asked.

“Pardon me for interrupting,” the postal spider said. “I’ve received a telegram from one of your brethren, and I thought I am to give it to you.”

She took the telegram and read it aloud. “Dear sister Muffet, it is with deep regret to inform you of some technical mistake on my behalf. The human that passed by me, in the Ruins and Snowdin…” She paused.

 _That could be me_ , I thought.

She took a deep breath. “The human has never laid a finger on me, or any of our spider friends for that matter. It’s a horrible error on my behalf, and for that, I truly apologize.” Her eyes twitched.

She was quiet for a while, her back turned against me. I stood looking like an imbecile.

The spider lady turned back at me. “Oh, my...I really am sorry for all this...this…whatever your people call this.”

“Ruckus.”

“Yes, ruckus!” she exclaimed. “It’s certainly a misunderstanding. It appears you do not hate spiders.”

“No, I don’t hate ‘em. Just a little scared, but I don’t hate.”

“Magnifique! Again, I have to apologize. Silly Marquis does tend to get things wrong sometimes. Young oaf.”

I chuckled. “It’s all right.”

“You are free to go now,” Muffet said. “But you may come back! I will wrap you in my spider webs and let you play with my pets and brothers.” She gave a shy chuckle.

“O-kay,” I replied. “I will think about it. See you, then.”

“Au revoir!”

I hardly understood her language, but I assumed it was a goodbye. I waved and left instantly.

At least she did not eat me alive, I thought.

“Human!” she shouted.

I turned back. “Yeah?”

She ran to my path. “You forgot your knife.”

 _Darn it,_ I felt. “Thanks, Muffet. I always forgot this knife.”

I placed the knife back into my pocket, then Muffet’s eyes stared at mine. She grinned, and gave my cheek a kiss. She concluded with another chuckle.

I blushed. “What was that for?”

“Just a good luck kiss,” Muffet replied, her cheeks a rosy red.

I nodded and made myself disappear.

Monster or not, that was the first kiss I received from a girl.

  
  



	27. The Resort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Biron came across a towering resort in the middle of Hotland.

A towering, glittering building stood at the background of a fountain. The sign outside the building read ‘MTT Resort’.

I did not know what that meant, but the place truly reflected a state-of-the-art resort. Another fountain stood at the centre, with a couple of elevators, a dedicated restaurant, and a simple but attractive fast food outlet.

I stepped into the fast food restaurant. My stomach churned like a menacing torpedo. I requested for a cheeseburger, but the crew boy - whose name tag shouted ‘Burgerpants’ in all caps - forgot the cheese. Either way, I expressed my gratitude for the bread, with 10 pieces of gold coins.

The large MTT Restaurant stood on the left. Some Monsters already took their seats, while some stood still, waiting to be ushered to their respective seats. The waiters darted here and there, carrying trays of delicacies.

It did not take long to find a familiar face in Sans.

I gasped. “Sans?” I asked. “You’re in one piece.”

Sans smiled. “Of course,” he replied. “Though it took some bloody hours to get myself back to this very moment.”

“I suppose you landed somewhere far away.” I paused. “What about Paps?”

“I can’t find him,” Sans shook. “It looks like the dream is coming true.” Sans grabbed my collar. “Kid, have you seen him? Have you seen my brother?!”

The other customers looked on, mesmerized by our little scene.

I nearly choked. “Sans, stop! I don’t know!” Difficult to breathe. “That’s why I’m asking you.”

Sans hesitated, but would make up his mind. He released me, and I landed on the wooden chair.

“Kid,” Sans spilled out. “Sorry. It’s just...I’ve not seen him for...years. I-I-I just miss that fella…”

“Me, too,” I said, fixing my collar. “I had no idea, how I wind up in the bazaar.”

“You are still in the same time zone,” he said. “Lucky you. As for me, that flower...that dastardly flower sent me to slumber land. To my creepiest nightmare.”

I gulped. “How?”

“I dunno, kid. Flowey is…” Sans sighed. “He’s full of surprises. He’s even stronger than the last time I met him. It’s the darkness inside of him...or perhaps he is the darkness itself. A darkness that I longed wish to eradicate.”

“I heard from Dr. Alphys, that Flowey is Toriel’s child.”

Sans gave me an unassuming scowl. “Toriel’s children died, years ago. You’re missing the plot.”

“But Alphys said Flowey is Asriel.”

Sans was in shock. “Asriel…?”

“Alphys said, Flowey declares himself as he is today.”

“So there’s no Asriel.”

“I wasn’t finished,” I tensed. “Asriel is still inside of Flowey. There’s still a little bit of Asriel inside of Flowey. I know it to be true.”

“He tried to kill you. He tried to burn both of us. He tried to kill my brother.” Sans looked out of wits. “If you believe he is Asriel, then why?”

I shrugged. “Because I believe, that even the nastiest of person can change.”

Sans shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

“What?”

“I thought you said you wanted to leave the Underground. But you’re still here, still fighting for _our_ cause.” Sans sighed. “Kid, if it’s money you want_”

“There is no incentive worth paying,” I retorted. “I’m doing this, because I begin to care.” I shook my head. “Look, you and Paps have been awfully good to me. Even lady Toriel. And I wish that, you will see it fit for me to help you.”

Sans was puzzled. “Help us with what?”

“To get you all out of here.”

Sans chuckled. “Heh. You think that you know everything, don‘cha? You see, this is where you’re gravely mistaken.” A moment of silence, but then he went on. “And when I say gravely, I _really_ mean it.” He took a sip from his cup. “You really believe in beating Flowey? Beating the King?”

“Think what you want,” I said, “but it won’t change the fact that I’m leaving the Underground, and I’m taking you with me.” I looked around. “I mean, all of you, darn it!!” I screamed.

A group of waiters started to pull my body away. “What are you doing?!”

“You’re disturbing the peace in the restaurant,” a waiter responded. “You must leave.”

“Oh, come on!”

As they pulled me, Sans stood still. He uttered a sentence that read, “If I were you, I would’ve given up.”

Perhaps Flowey traumatized Sans. Perhaps Sans overreacted. Either way, my responsibility was clear: to save the Monsters from whatever coming their way.

 


	28. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the resort, Biron heads off to an 'extension' called The Core.

Sans’s disapproval I accepted with a grain of salt. I was in no position to squabble, given his incomprehensible ability to ‘dunk’ those he shunned. I was more than determined to steer ahead instead of looking back.

Still inside the MTT Resort, a smell emanated. Not from the frying pans of the fast food unit, or the grills of the restaurant.

It was _the smell of freedom_.

“I am,” I said to myself, “getting the hell out of here.”

A part of me had a hunch that I was under the watchful eyes of unknown predators. The bushes rustled violently behind me, and they could conceal more than a single, standard-sized creature.

Deep breath. Hands across the bush.

Nothing. Just my pure imagination, with a hint of paranoia, running wild.

I followed the sign that read ‘The Core’. The door was unlocked. Once opened, two beings - clad in dark trench coat - stepped further away at blazing speed.

“Who’s there?” I enquired. No time for response.

The Core is _not_ an extension of MTT Resort. The two structures do not share the same blueprint; while the resort was astounding in its own right, the Core represented an engineering marvel. My eardrums rolled to the beat of what sounded like automated machines at work. Good thing they prepared a soundproof elevator.

Immensely decorated with dark blue walls and carpets. As I walked on, the shades of purple illuminated the hallways. Paintings and phrases stuck to the walls; they were of quality that would make Van Gogh and Shakespeare blush.

 _Totally the best structure I’ve seen in the whole of the Underground._ _Better than MTT_.

Mesmerized by the slightly incomprehensive structure, I began to realize the two creatures in black, shuffling through the many doors.

“Show yourselves!” I screamed.

I gripped my fists. My blood was boiling. I entered the room up front.

Not a thing, but a platform that connected to the other side.

My feet stepped on the strong silver platform. Either way, I balanced my weight, to avoid the unwanted circumstances. Unexplainable machines towered underneath the platform, prepared to feast on anything that fell their way.

The exit loomed closer. Jubilated I was; for a moment; for one of the creatures in black came sprawling in front of me.

The cloak was removed, and then the hat. Guesses I took to name this Monster, but he already had a name.

Madjick.

His ability to throw cards he put on display. A pair of 4s came my way, but I dodged, only to be met with 5s and 6s.

“Special just for you,” Madjick stated.

The Kings and Queens came next. I leapt at an enormous height, and just about landed on the platform. Madjick insisted I be dealt with, and ordered his card minions to push me to my demise.

The sharp edges cut me off, but the pain was bearable. Madjick did not look like he was going to stop, but I stalled for time, to gain some momentum.

My trusty knife I utilized, slicing the cards. I powered towards the mage, but he morphed into non-existence.

The Core was all but a whisper of silence. The cards flat on the floor.

 _Not for long_.

A flurry of Aces and 9s circled around me. My heart skipped a beat. Incremental attacks led me to lose my footing. My neck almost fell victim, but part of my head felt the pain from the vicious cut.

Unfocused. Unprepared; when Madjick took the opportunity to fly-kick me. I was sent careering on the platform.

 _Ouch, that really hurt_.

Madjick could not resist the temptation. He edged closer, and then tried to push me off the edge. I hung on to a pole, but that provided little comfort. The desperate mage was kicking my hands.

Deep breath. Now or never. Now Madjick was unfocused, and probably unprepared. I let him hit me with what he’s got, but I did not let go of the pole. My left hand still alive, I flung it till I reached his right foot.

Curiosity fueled Madjick’s thoughts. “What are you doing?!”

I pulled the foot with all the strength I could muster, but only removed his shoe.

“Nice try,” he mocked, “but it’s the end for you now, petty human!”

He wanted to stomp on my left arm, but I ducked just in time. Madjick’s insistence caused him to slip; both of us were hanging on for dear life.

He was still insisting on finishing me off. His friend, still in black attire, emerged from the shadows.

“Hey, Fredjick!” Madjick screamed at the top of whatever that was that keep him breathing. “Gotta help me here. I’m gonna fall!”

Ever the obedient friend, ‘Fredjick’ held and pulled Madjick to safety.

Madjick hugged his friend, who showed no emotion. “Thank you!” he exclaimed. “Now, kill him!” He pointed to my helpless vessel.

“Oh dear,” I muttered. The end was near; at least it was, in my case, until Fredjick did the unthinkable.

His milky white hand he offered. Skeptical feelings made me rethink my approach, but I figured I’ve nothing to lose. Thus, I grabbed his arm, and he pulled me up.

Madjick shook his head. “What? Why?! Why do you save the pesky human?”

Fredjick turned his attention to his friend, but said no word.

“To hell with the smelly human!”

I was triggered. “Hold up! I’m not_”

“Silence!” Madjick yelled. “Freddie boy, you haven’t learned, have you? These bastard humans don’t deserve anything down here.” Madjick paused. “It is our duty to destroy them. Now, _destroy_ them!”

Fredjick turned back to me. His hand glowed a shimmering blue light.

Madjick was enjoying this moment, passionately kissing his favorite Queen card.

  



	29. Tales of Mages and Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Biron goes against two oppositions, and his weapon is - for the most part - his mind.

I came a long way from where I began. From the Ruins, to Snowdin, and then to Hotland. Still in Hotland, but inside a magnificent architectural design called The Core. The name made little impression on the contents of this place at first, but the whirring of machines and beautifully crafted decorations made me rethink my opinion of the place.

This time - like many other times - I was at death’s door. Perhaps the Grim Reaper was hiding somewhere inside The Core, but then again it could be Sans, or even Papyrus.

Fredjick, Madjick’s surprisingly quiet friend, surprised me once, but I doubt that he would surprise me again. He’s got his glowing ball of light pointed at my path, ready to fire.

Madjick popped open a stack of popcorn to enjoy my slaughter.

Too bad for him, though, for his enjoyment would be short-lived.

Fredjick turned around to face Madjick. The smaller but louder Madjick dropped pieces of popcorn, and the popcorn fell to its destruction at the hands of the towering machines beneath The Core.

“What are you doing now?” Madjick screamed. “Freddie, it’s your buddy, Madj_”

The beam fired at Madjick. With his hands, Fredjick controlled Madjick’s direction. The fall was quick for Madjick, once his ‘friend’ released his control. Madjick would disappear, this time for good.

I stuttered. “That was…”

The black coat came off. _Little did that surprise me_.

“Sans?!” I remarked. “I thought you didn’t want nothin’ to do with this.” I paused. “Why?”

“Whaddaya mean?” Sans inquired. “I just saved you from further destruction.” He gave a disturbing wink.

“Y-y-you just killed him!” I exclaimed.

“Madjick?” Sans laughed. “Nah. He’s probably somewhere in his home right now, out in Snowdin. Probably taking care of that genius dog of his,” A light pause. “Or _taken care of_. None of my business whatsoever.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I know what you don’t.”

“And what did you do to the real Fredjick?”

“Let’s just say, he has _left_ the building.”

Pretending to understand, I nodded with some frustration. “Fine! Have it your way, Sans.” I walked past him, prepared to start a new chapter in this viciously extended journey to return home.

Before I leave, a sense of remorse crippled me, so much that I had to turn around to thank Sans. I did turn around, only to find that he was gone. _As per usual._

A dark room stood up front. The total darkness gave me a sense of blindness, save for the appearance of glitter on the roof.

A panicky moment it sure was, but I have encountered worse. I did not go through hell in the Underground for nothing.

I seated myself on the floor, my legs crossed in a zen-like manner. The darkness made it irrelevant that my eyes were opened, so I shut them down. For a moment, a sense of tranquility - and palpable relief - overwhelmed me. My breaths were more relaxed than before. My body healed its wounds as much as anatomically possible.

A good time I was having, till I heard a flick of a switch.

Eyes opened; the room moderately lit. A physical presence, in the form of a rectangular computer, stood in front of me.

“OOOOHHH!!”

 _That_ definitely did not come from my mouth.

“HELLO, DARLING!” the speaker blurted out. “HOW NICE OF YOU TO JOIN ME HERE!”

 

 


	30. Maniac Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist finds a talking machine. It's cooperation is yet to be explored...

Not too long ago, I came across a mage Monster, who showed his enthusiasm in playing card tricks to take my life. However, he failed to do so; his own destiny hanging in the balance; or in the machines that roar underneath The Core.   

Now, I came across a talking brick.

“DARLING,” its speaker screamed. “It’s a pleasure to see you. I’ve always had a thing for humans.” Silence. “Especially the dancing ones with the spiky, slick and _ramen_ hairs.”

I lost track. “Ramen hair?”

“You know what I’m talking about, darling.”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” I replied. “And please, stop calling me ‘darling.’ I’m not your wife.”

The machine chuckled. “How cute...darling.”

The machine was a fool as he was deaf. “Whatever,” I muttered. “Hey, can you please let me through? I have to go home…”

“No can do, darling,” it responded, a tone of rasp detected in its voice. “I’ve been given orders to stop a human. You, my dear cupcake, are no exception.”

My phone rang. I answered. “Alphys? What’s up?”

“Biron!” Alphys exclaimed. I could hear her gasps. “Y-y-you’re in The Core?” she asked.

“Why,” I responded, “yes! In fact, I’m facing a certain machine…”

“That’s Mettaton!” she cried. “She’s a M-m-monster in a machine. I created her body with magic. She l-l-likes her new b-b-body, but...but…”

“Hold on,” I said. “This machine is now Mettaton?” I paused. “Wow! I never thought I could see the day.”

“B-b-be careful, Biron. H-h-he’s a bit r-r-resilient…”

I kept my eye on Mettaton, who appeared to have moved closer to me by the second. “Indeed,” I said.

“My, my,” Mettaton said. “You’ve met Alphys, haven’t you? I knew it! But you kept her alive. I wonder why.” He shrugged. “Maybe because you find her attractive…”

“Not like that!” I screamed.

The machine’s monitor turned red. “YOU DARE SCREAM AT ME?!” Holes emanated from the bare sections of his body, and out came an assortment of arms, with chainsaws and machine guns fixed in each arm. “PREPARE TO BE VAPORIZED!”

Mettaton edged closer, albeit very slowly, his lack of testicular fortitude doing him a great disservice.

The guns were of little threat; they looked like toys. The chainsaw a real deal; it reeked of awesomeness; or weapon of mass destruction. My destruction, if put in the current context.

Yet I was reminded, that God had other plans for me.

The electronic chainsaw stopped, and Mettaton started to activate its speaker.

“Alphys!” he exclaimed, like a bloody girly cheerleader. “What makes you wanna call me, darling?”

“Mettaton!” Alphys screamed. “Y-y-you aren’t planning to k-k-kill the human, a-a-are you?”

“Are you kidding me?” he inquired, a slight annoyance in his tone. “OF COURSE, DARLING! It is my duty, after all. Who else is here to save the Underground?”

Alphys insisted an alternative. “Undyne said y-y-you should s-s-stay away from the h-h-human_”

“Oh, wow!” Mettaton screeched. “Your girlfriend really thinks she knows it all, huh?”

“Wh-wha...what do you mean?”

“She’s Undyne…”

“Y-y-yeah…”

“But I’m Mettaton!” the machine yelled. “Darling, you should know, that I don’t take orders from anyone.”

“I-I”

I was growing out of patience. “If you won’t do it, Alphys,” I said, “I will!”

I took my phone and called her. “Alphys, this is Biron. Telling you to order Mettaton, to know his role, and shut his mouth. Copy?”

“B-b-but I’m talking to…”

“I know,” I insisted. “Just…” I paused. “You got this. I know you do.” The line went dead.

Mettaton chuckled. “What’s the matter, darling? Afraid? Terrified?”

That moment, defeat was inevitable. My head held down, and my phone dropped to the ground. There was no turning back, let alone moving ahead. It appeared, life was too short to savor.

I tried regardless. “Sick,” I replied to Mettaton.

“Sick?”

“Yes! Absolutely sick, of all the chaos around here. I don’t know you, I hardly laid a finger on you. Yet, here you are, pretending to be a hero, when you want to slaughter me into pieces!” My wrath I pointed to his face. “What kind of hero are you?”

“Gosh!” he muttered. He was silent for a brief period, but streamed back to life. “You’ve got it.”

I mumbled. “What?”

“Talent.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“You have a way with words,” he explained. “The way you try to win me with those beautiful lines. They sound like the kinds of things I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN!” The machine shook abruptly. “OOH YES, THEY ARE!!”

“You’re insane.”

“You drive me crazy, darling. I guess, besides killing you, I can book a spot for you in MTT…”

 _Eureka! Now I know that MTT is an acronym to Mettaton’s name. How creative_.

I resisted. “No thanks!” I gripped my fists. “Do me a favor, and leave through that door.”

I pointed to my only chance of escape. “Are you silly? You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? I’m afraid I’m just too smart for you_”

“Mommy!” I cried. “Mommy, help me, please!!”

My acting skills fooled Mettaton, for he turned to the exit and made himself vulnerable.

A switch was fixed on his back, built by Alphys just in case any sort of unwanted circumstances occur. Alphys did mention a switch before she ended her call, and I assumed she referred to the one at Mettaton’s flat back.

I flipped the switch. Mettaton stalled.

 _For a while_.

“Did you…” Mettaton spoke out. “Did you just flip. My. Switch?”

I nodded, anticipating a permanent shutdown. My anticipation was a total error.

“OOOH YES!!” Mettaton screamed at the tip of his silicon chips.

I learned that magic could be exploited for lots of beneficial uses. However, the idea of metamorphosis was not in my mind. That was precisely what happened to Mettaton.

 _Darn it, Alphys_! I felt. _You tricked me this time_.

 


	31. The Two-Monster Band

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist has to contend with a certain Mettaton, who just made himself look like a humanoid.

A part of me questioned Alphys’s true colors, whether or not that the transformation of the metallic silver colored creature was all a ruse, created for the sole purpose of my destruction.

I glanced at the rejuvenated form of Mettaton. “How original.”

Long-ish hair akin to Michael Jackson’s from his last world tour, plus designer shoes and a fedora. It became apparent that Mettaton idolized superstars from the surface world, just like many of my colleagues up there.

“Less talk, dear,” he said, pushing my hair. “You shall crumble at the hands of Mettaton EX!”

A sigh. Hair fix applied; knife re-equipped. “Bring it on.”

Columns of lights illuminated like a Christmas tree. The attention of the camera was primarily directed at Mettaton, whose questionable acts of _indecency_ came to play.

Miniature robots, resembling mini Mettatons, stormed into action, firing at will. The little dogfight intensified, so much that I had to plug my headphones for protection.

More came, out of the shadows. This time, with guided missiles and even a miniature time bomb. The timer was set to 3 seconds; no time to lose; gasps of air; leap of faith.

 _Fireworks_. My leaping ability kept me alive.

“The show is just beginning!” Mettaton EX claimed. “Speaking of which, check out these ratings!”

Rectangular television, each fixed to the walls, contained things that mattered a lot to Mettaton. One was a live recording of our duel, while the next showed fluctuating lines, with a positive outcome at the end of the line. That line kept on growing.

“We’re recorded?!” I inquired.

Mettaton gleefully chuckled. “Some publicity wouldn’t hurt,” he mentioned. “Besides, you are going to die on live TV. That’s part of the script.” He let out a menacing grin.

“No scripts! I’m a free man. I don’t need to be told what to do!”

“We’ll see about that.”

Plastic legs branched out of the ceiling and floor. Amazement overtook me. One of the legs kicked my backside. I did not take lightly to that attack, thus I sliced the leg into two pieces.

The miniature robots struck again, this time working together with the plastic legs. I mustered my strength and endurance to outlast them, only to slip.

I got up again. Refuge I took in the form of a cardboard box, but Mettaton spotted me and destroyed whatever boxes in the room. The door to the exit was still unopened. I rushed to open it, but I was surprised to see a leg break out of the door’s center.

Down on my backside. Trembling fear. A bomb dropped from 15 feet above, its weight pulling it downwards, fast. The clock was ticking; the explosion would cast fireworks.

Except that it did not.

Mettaton was not amused. “Pathetic C4 clone.”

A sigh of relief.

Alphys made herself show up in the midst of a battle. She was carrying a gun.

“Biron,” she yelled, “catch this!”

My doubts over her true colors I put aside, when I caught the gun.

“Alphys!” Mettaton exclaimed. “Giving the unfair advantage to the human, eh? How typical.”

“G-g-give it up, Metta,” she said with some anger. “You have used your p-p-powers…”

Alphys stood facing Mettaton’s direction.

“Out of my way!” Mettaton cried. “I need to meet my viewers’s demands. They wanna see an epic finale!”

“But there’s n-n-no need for a f-f-finale!”

“I do as I say.”

 

The door was open. “Back off, Alphys!” I screamed.

Alphys wondered. “But_”

Aim adjusted. “Then, duck!”

“W-what are _”

Target acquired. Ready to fire. “Duck, Alphys. Duck!”

Alphys obeyed. One shot I fired, hitting Mettaton at the middle of his torso. Another shot at the same place; both pairs of Mettaton’s arms and legs fell to the ground.

The machine frowned. “How annoying,” he mumbled. I grinned in glee.

The machine had a tingling sensation. His phone rang.

“Hell-low! Welcome to MTT TV!”

“Mettaton, tonight’s episode is,” the caller paused. “It’s so cool!! The fights, the tension, the drama, all of it, just the best I’ve ever seen!”

Mettaton gasped. ”MARVELLOUS! I know we’d make a great show. Now, if you

The line was cut, but the phone rang again. “Hello, Mettaton!”

 _Paps_ , I believed. I could make out the high-pitched vocals.

“Jolly good show!!”

Mettaton gasped. “Why, thank you. I knew you’d like it.”

“I LOVE it!” Papyrus exclaimed. “And the human, he’s really good with his feet!”

Mettaton looked baffled.

Papyrus went on. “Gosh, I didn’t know Biron could act.”

I chuckled wholeheartedly. “Silly Paps. If only he knew…” Mettaton scowled at the sight of me.

“What’s the matter?” I teased him. “Feeling a little...exposed?”

“Why, you, sniveling little brat! I ought to_”

“Hello?”

Mettaton’s anger subsided. “Yes? Thank you for calling, darling. Anything you would like to say? The cameras all rolling, so that means you, or should I say, your voice, is going to be on TV!”

The caller sounded clueless. “Uhh...Mettaton, I would like to say...I enjoyed the show and all. But, I hope that you...come back to live...home…”

Mettaton felt something inside his soul. “Pardon me?”

“We used to live together,” Napstablook said. “I mean...next to each other. But you often come to my house. I came to yours. We make music…music and more music…uhhh…”

Napstablook sobbed. Mettaton attempted to comfort him, a feeling of regret drowning him.

“Y-y-you…” Mettaton stuttered. “Napsta? It is you…”

“Yeah…it is Napstablook. Calling from the snail farm. Now, the snails are racing…”

I’ve never seen a machine cry, but I believed I made history when Mettaton burst to tears. “I-I’m a fraud. A horrible friend. I let my emotions get the best of me. But I want to be a star so badly.” He paused, his tears wiped off. “I’ve made it!”

I looked at the immensely decorated room. “Yes, you did…” I mentioned.

“But, it’s not the same without true company. Napsta, even though I ran away from home,” he continued, “you’re still my best friend. My musical partner. My _amigo_.” He sighed. “Whatever that last word meant.”

I raised my hand. “It’s Latin for _friend_.”

“Oohhh,” Mettaton replied. “Thank you, darling.”

“Uhh...I apologize, Mettaton. I should visit you soon.”

Mettaton was silent for a while. “No problem...darling.”

Alphys checked on the crippled Mettaton. “Gosh, y-you’re still alive.” Alphys breathed out, and then crossed his hands. “Thank God!”

“Indeed!” Mettaton exclaimed. “Although, I’ve to say, I feel a little naked.”

“Don’t say that in front of t-t-the h-human…”

“No worries,” I said. “I’m all ears.”

Mettaton bowed. “Human, you’re more than a match for me. I accept if it’s my fate to fall at your hands. It’s been a monumental few seasons in MTT TV, but I’m proud of the support by the Monsters here. Always watching, almost every day. Simply WONDERFUL!”

He expected me to kill him, but I had other plans in store. His puppy eyes were overbearing to no end.

“Go home,” I said. “You’ve lost your arms and legs, but you still have Napstablook. He’s a good friend.”

“He’s the best,” Mettaton added. “How foolish of me to leave him hanging_”

“Look, stop the negative thinking and go home!”

Mettaton nodded with humility. “What about you?” Alphys asked the same question.

“I’ve been down here for very long,” I replied. “It’s about time I find my way home.”

“I see,” Mettaton said. “Before you leave, I would like to warn you.” He continued, “It’s gonna be tough.”

I shrugged. “Never stopped me before.”

Mettaton was amused. “That’s the spirit. Knock ‘em dead, darling!”

The robot’s lights flickered in his eyes. Moments later, the lights were no more. Alphys checked on her creation. “Oh, it’s run out of b-b-batteries.”

“Alphys,” I said. “I’m going now.”

“O-okay.”

I stepped forward to open the beat down door. Determination filled me up; a newfound hope for survival and, I hope, sweet victory. Before I departed, I turned to face Alphys.

“Alphys,” I said again.

“Y-y-yes, Biron?”

I smiled. “Thanks,” I said, “for everything. I appreciate it.”

Alphys blushed. “Oh, it’s n-n-nothing_”

“It is a lot of things!” I exclaimed. “Oh, one last thing…”

Alphys awaited for my last words. It finally came. “Keep out of trouble,” I said to her. She nodded with affirmation and humility.

 


	32. A Moment of Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist takes time to think things through.

I walked down a path of grey. The pavements and the walls around were void of life and lacked the vibrancy of The Core; or any other places in the Underground for that matter.

Regardless, my subconsciousness began to drill in the questions. Questions, like:

_How long have I been down here? My parents are surely devastated._

_Is the police looking for me? If so, why are they still not here? Is it just they don’t know where I am? Are they scared to go to the Underground?_

_How long have I skipped school?_

So many, but my heart steered on, without giving an answer to each. Ignoring has become part of valor in my circumstances.

An elevator stood at my path. I flicked the buttons, but none worked. A screech emanated from inside it.

Vines - green, thorny ones - cropped out of the elevator door edges. There was no way in; not even the frequent clicks of the buttons could do justice to my efforts.

An alternative way would be to use the stairs. Thus, I did the logical thing to do. It took around three floors, till I reached another door.

 _Open sesame._ Seemed void of life, its pavements and walls grey. Upon further inspection, I concluded that this grey area was a spitting image of The Ruins, with some minor differences on routes. The greyness did not help to lift my mood. Goosebumps filled my soul, so much that I wanted to throw up.

Silencing echoes filled the area known as New Home. They spoke of a tale; of triumph; of tragedy; of guilt and shame; of redemption; of resistance; of _life;_ of _death._

It was during one of these _lectures_ , that I stumbled across a door; darker in grey, easily distinguishable from the walls. Curiosity peaked, and I duly stepped into a blank, white room.

The illumination intense, but not to the point of burning the eyes. The width was incomprehensible, and the echoes a wall of noise, although still tolerable. My legs got weary, and I grounded to a halt in the dead center of the room.

My head bowed. I gasped for air. Limited oxygen capacity; certainly a cause for concern.

Other notorieties were spotted, whilst I was using my hands to balance my weight. Often thought my mind went bonkers, but I saw _him_ this time. For real.

This persona, height concealed under a black coat, sat, visible pale white legs crossed; deafening silence. I drew closer and realized, that he resembled my two skeleton buddies from Snowdin.

A certain aroma engulfed the figure in front. The odor akin to that of an expired talcum powder, I held my breath. My leg regained in strength, so much that I edged closer to the pale-faced figure.

His eyes absolute black; a common trait for skeletons. Thick lines apparent on each eye; one extending from the bottom of the right eye; another extending from the top, to the back of his skull.

Inches away. A chuckle, he spilled out. “Dark…”

I halted, astounded.

“Darker,” he mentioned, “darker...yet darker.”

The noise that disturbed my senses - that raged like multiple, simultaneous attempts at dialing the old Internet - was gone. But the pale figure’s trivial phrase brought me to a place I never thought imaginable.

It felt as though my eyeballs got pierced. I cried with resignation. In my struggles, the figure came to me, his dark lab coat spread to the maximum width.

 


	33. A Different Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist takes a trip down memory lane, although it is not his memory that he explores.

I lost track of the times darkness plunged me to the depths of misery. That darkness reared its ugly head, yet again.

My body flat on the ground. Felt like a child in a dark night, but in reality I was a slightly freckled prepubescent, with probable significant fractures on my spine and arms and legs.

Back on my feet. Dusted myself off. Raging currents swept through my head; a certain device crept on my eyes.

“Aaagghhh! What is this? What do you want?!”

“D…”

Mutters; exuding from the inevitable darkness. My original attempt to make out the chattering phone line noises was to no avail. As luck would have it, the clarity of the noise intensified as I moved in.

“Dark,” came a chatter from a distance.

Curious. I reached for, and ripped, the device off of my head. The sight of a vast laboratory left me scratching my head.

“Darker.”

A thin, but healthy-looking scientist stood in front of a gigantic, helmet-shaped machine. Joining him were two skeletons.

 _Sans, and Papyrus,_ in identical lab coats. Total disbelief. Unfathomable.

The realization that I could not communicate with anyone, or anything, only added weight to the confusion.

The figure, significantly taller than Papyrus, focused on his tablet computer. He walked to the larger computer, and checked on the correlation of data that was extracted from the giant machine. He frowned upon inspection.

“Yet darker,” he conversed. “Photon readings negative.” He gave another glance at the tablet, and then shifted to his two colleagues. “What do you two think?”

Sans hummed. “It appears,” he said, “that the DT Extractor, as you call it, may need some workaround, to get it fully working. The photon readings can be positive, if we play around…”

“With the settings,” Papyrus interfered. “I agree with Sans. It’s very possible that this extracting machine can work, and it will! Besides,” Papyrus raised his head more, “You are our father, and you are getting old. Old people need rest, most of the time. Maybe with enough rest, you will wake up the next day as fresh as a daisy!”

The figure shook his head. “Doesn’t change anything,” he said.

“Come on, Gaster,” Sans interrupted. “Paps is right. Besides, you’ve been working on this...this…” Sans wanted to compliment the machine’s greatness, but was lost for words. “Masterpiece, for a considerably long time.”

“And what, pray tell, do you suggest?” Gaster asked. “That I end it all here? To call curtains on what I worked on for most of my life?”

Sans shrugged, waving his hands in denial. “Nothing like that, boss. Just wanna see you, y’know, take a break. You’ve worked very hard.”

Brief silence, but for Gaster’s blank stare at his two partners. He eventually broke out. “There is no need for breaks, from where I come from.” He sighed. “The human species is a significant threat, thus we need something to defeat them. That something,” he pointed to the DT Extractor, “is this thing, which can take the elements of the notorious human souls. With their soul power at our disposal, combined with our Monster soul, we have an irresistible force. A bringer of peace.”

Sans interjected. “Look, I hate to break it to you,” he said, “but I’ve seen one or two came around. In fact, I heard stories about how they actually _helped_ our kind.” Sans was fluent in his interjection. “Remember that weird ol’ Dalv? I’m sure he told you of a little Clint Eastwood who brought him out of misery_”

Papyrus nodded. “Come to think of it, I like Dalv! He’s quite likeable. I like likeable things, just like spaghetti_”

“Yeah, Paps! Just like that.” Sans paused. “Besides, we Monsters do have to give credit where it’s due. Our arts is loosely inspired by the many pieces of flyers and audio cassettes and discs that are thrown from up there.” Sans winked. “Tough to muster, but heck, gotta accept that their culture is also wicked cool.”

Gaster clenched his teeth. “And you are assuming?”

“What I meant…”

Papyrus held his brother’s shoulder. “What about me, brother?”

“What _we_ meant, is that we can’t let our personal feelings get the better of our judgement. I realize that I was a fool. A racist, even. Because I used to listen blindly to the King’s requests, not knowing what I really want_”

Gaster lost his cool. “Enough!!”

The lab was quiet, save for the whirring of machines. Gaster slapped his face. “All this while, I thought I could trust you…”

Sans’ eyes widened. “What?”

“I raised you,” Gaster explained, “both of you, hoping that you’ll come to your senses. The enemy must be stopped, but you two are more interested in having fun, flirting with their kind. How disgusting! What kind of Monsters are you?!”

Papyrus was in shock. Sans was unmoved. “What Monster are _you_?”

Gaster crossed his arms and smirked. “A dedicated one, I should say.”

“I see you as a Monster,” Sans said. “A Monster, that takes orders from that fluffy pushover. You’re his b_”

“Hey!” Papyrus exclaimed. “Don’t talk to Dad like that. Although, I have to agree with your remarks of King Fluffybuns.”

Gaster lost his nerve. “How dare you?! You got some nerve calling the King names?”

“Sorry,” Sans said. “I’m a bit rusty when it comes to _royal_ _conduct_.”

Gaster sighed. “So be it. If there’s nothing else...the machine doesn’t fix itself. You two are no longer required. Please leave.”

Papyrus attempted to interject. “B-b-but we didn’t want to_”

“Leave. Now.”

Papyrus was close to breaking down, but Sans held him close, advising him to keep strong while they both leave the lab.

Gaster looked at the DT Extractor again, with high adulation. His grandest design, and one that could well spell the beginning of the end of humanity.

“How pitiful,” Gaster said. “They could be my first subjects. But it looks like I have to do things on my own _”

I wished to communicate with Gaster. He turned to my path and waved his hand, which had a hole in the middle.

“Look who the cat dragged in,” he said. “Now, would be the best time to experiment.”

Considering my last encounters with a human-Monster hybrid soul, I resisted Gaster’s wishes.

He ran to his desk and grabbed a certain gun, coated with silver and featuring colored ammunition. I called it the rainbow gun.

“You do _not_ want to do that,” I advised.

“Does not change anything,” Gaster implied. “You’d be dead anyway.”

First shots fired. I leapt out of the way, but the energy from the explosion tossed me against a stack of crates. The crates broke as a result of my landing momentum.

One explosion was not enough for the pale, slightly elderly Monster. He struck again with the gun, but this time his aim caught me dead center. The feeling of my heart getting pierced overwhelmed me to no end. I smashed to the floor, unable to conduct further movement of my arms and legs. My head was stuck.

I lay with the smashed crates, helpless and breathless. Gaster came to me, like he did the last time.

“Now, now...let’s not get ahead of ourselves…”

He grabbed me by my stained shirt, and everything became as it was when I first entered. Deafening silence, save for the sound of bits being transferred between telephone lines.

For a minute or so, I was a dead person. My eyes were slow to open, but when they did, I was seated, legs crossed.

The darkness was absolute, and Gaster’s attire complemented the mood. He was no longer in the white overalls he wore back in the lab.

I could see the skeleton waving his hands violently. Soon, this darkness was replaced by the presence of imaginary glass panels.


	34. Cheaters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster does not take too kindly to Biron's mere presence in the unknown.

The last time I checked, my home windows were neither this wide, nor did it tower mercilessly over my four foot tall frame. Somehow, this mystery man, Gaster just knew how to get under my skin, to make my life a living hell. The fact that he technically killed me once, did little to comfort me. My bowels were doing awfully, and the toilet was not in sight.

I stammered in my terror. “Wh-what are you d-d-doing?”

Gaster’s hands flailed; he used magical powers to move the ‘windows’ by force. Each window contained moving images.

“What are t-t-those?” I pointed my finger to a window that contained a graphic of a crying baby.

“Fragments,” Gaster stated, “of memories. Deep within, unrecorded in your books. A place of which mere mortals, humans and Monsters alike, are unable to see through time. To them, time is measured as mere ‘standard units’, which not even they themselves could elaborate.”

“What are you t-t-talking about?” I inquired. “I d-d-don’t get it...”

“In the actual reality, time is…” Gaster paused. “Time is relative. Subjective

 It’s not the same, for you and I…” Another momentary pause.

I could move my head again, but my vocabulary rested in a cloud of smoke within my imagination.

“You and I are linked in some ways, but not most. Without regard to that matter, my apparent death has not entirely stopped my soul from running. It appears, God has given me more than just a lifeline. He has given me the door to time immemorial.”

“Time? I still don’t get it…” My stammering reduced, as my nerves took its time to repair itself.

“Indeed,” Gaster replied. “It appears you are smarter than you look, Biron Blockhead.”

I sprang to my feet. “How did you know my name?”

“The gift of time. I have been given access to a whole eternity. I have not died,” Gaster turned to me. “I merely disappeared from the reality that others see. From there, I have toured more than just this world that you and I live in, so much that I know more than you think I know.”

I pulled a few locks of hair. My eyes rolled. “You time travel?!”

“In some instances, yes.”

“I don’t get it,” I complained. “Why are you showing me all of this?”

Gaster held me. “Nothing personal. I just _hate_ cheaters.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“You have violated the laws of the Underground. Verily, you have wronged yourself. No one has ever set foot in this dimension.” Gaster paused. “It’s not supposed to happen, but somehow, you made it here.”

I chuckled. “You said that I cheated. How can you prove it?”

“That doesn’t need evidence_”

I bit my lip. “Then, I assume you are just jealous! Just deal with it, sir!” I rolled my tongue out. Gaster was unimpressed.

“Well, then.” The skeleton was lost for words; his judgmental standards somewhat challenged. “It appears I have to teach you a lesson, for being such a brat!”

His face resembled an egg ready to boil. He pulled my collar, prepared to toss me into one of the ‘windows of time’. The window was eager to suck me in, but I used the remaining seconds to reach out to Gaster. I succeeded, and fixed my grip on Gaster’s head.

“Whaaa_” Gaster remarked in shock.

Into the windows of time we went. The two of us were in free fall, awaiting to land on, or in, anywhere. Gaster scowled like a grumpy baboon, while I was in a state of panic.

“Look what you’ve done!” Gaster exclaimed, clenching his teeth. “You’ve brought me into utter mess with you. I won’t be surprised if we both turn to dust!”

“That makes it a lot more fun,” I said, “doesn’t it?”

“Whatever you say, mortal. At the end of this little trip, I’m going to deal with you, with more force!”

I made fun of his rhetoric. “Oohhh, I’m scared! Skeletor’s brother wants to swing his axe!”

“Shut up, you ignorant fool!!”

The speed increased upon descent. The panels flickered with an assortment of pictures from the eternity of space and time. I caught my breath, expecting nothing but a safe landing. Somewhere.


	35. Lost in the Unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist finds himself in ridiculously unfamiliar territory.

I lost count of the exact duration that I stay afloat in the middle of the ambiguous portal of time that Gaster dragged me into. The old fool was long gone, eager to escape the bloody mess that he orchestrated in the first place. Somehow, dragging him into his own mess only frustrated him even more. I watched as he went past me, like a rocketship about to destruct.

My eyes I shut, for I could not comprehend - nor do I want to - the pressure that was sucking me into the mysterious and the unknown. Had I not closed them, certainly they would have separated from my brains. My teeth stayed intact, for I just about closed my mouth before the energy sucked me in further. My arms I hugged, and my head I kept down. A probably useless thing to do in a situation of dire, but then again, it was better than nothing.  


***  


One beat.

Two beats.

Three.

The beats more rapid each time in a two-second interval. The radiation of the pulse a major improvement. Eyes blinked, and a deep exhale followed.

I opened my eyes for good. Arms and legs were numb from the perilous experience in the time portal. Regardless, I dusted myself off, literally. I checked my back and realized it was covered with actual sand, of brownish color.

The area I stood on was laid bare, with no sign of life but for the cactuses that swung waywardly when the weak winds blew at their path. Further ahead lay countless hills and an enormous mountain. I blinked, and then noticed a certain gushing substance, emanating from the tip of that mountain.

The heat was moderately intense, but enough to soak my back. I decided to remove my shirt, for it was beginning to lose its charm.

I walked a length or two, till I came to a stop. I rested underneath a humongous cactus. My mind raced against itself, trying to figure out the situation I was put into. It also came to my attention that the scowling skeleton, Gaster was not around.

My phone I took out from my wallet, but a few clicks on the screen and it appeared to have malfunctioned. Bizarre flashes burst out from the screen, and it shut itself down. I sealed it back into my pocket, contemplating its further use.

No time to lose. A few exhales; my adequately rested self stood up and marched on, to wherever the path could lead to.


	36. The Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. and Mrs. Baxter reflect on the disappearance of their son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is officially the end of the first volume of BironTale. 
> 
> I would like to give a big THANK YOU to you all for your continuous support of this novel. My wish is to prepare the next volume(s) for your entertainment. I understand this may take time, but rest assured, your patience will be rewarded.
> 
> \- Nasran Salleh, Author

The home used to be filled with joyful laughter, faithful leaps and playful eccentricities. It was a long while since the Baxter family lost their only son. For all, it was a loss too difficult to grasp.  
For the past week, the family contacted high-ranked personnel – the policemen, detectives and firefighters – and small-time entrepreneurs. Even the taxi driver, Raju, was not free from the queries that arose from the family.  
Mr. Baxter – or Burton – was already on the phone, talking to the driver, the last person to see his son Biron. In the background, his wife sobbed, her handkerchief soaked in her hand. His young daughter was asleep in her room, having sobbed for her brother moments before.  
“There is nothing you can do to change what has happened,” said a livid Burton. “My son has disappeared, and you are the last to see him. That makes you a direct suspect, whether you like it or not.”  
Raju was resistant. “Honestly, I only sent him to Mount Ebott.”  
Burton raised his eyebrow. “Mount Ebott?”  
“Yes!” Raju exclaimed. “He requested to go there. I don’t know why, but I just follow what he says. Nothing more, nothing less.”  
Burton took a deep breath. “I still find it difficult to believe you.”  
“Why would that be?” Raju asked; his voice akin to a terrified mumble.   
“Let me give you a little example,” the father retorted. “I know that you’ve been keeping an eye on Biron, ever since you two became friends. I find it difficult to not believe that you have some other intentions towards him. Knowing you, I couldn’t_”  
“Is that so? How can you judge me through the friends that I make?”  
“That’s exactly my point. I know who you befriend. I have seen you hanging out with those drug-dealing hobos in the back alleys of town, and you seem to be having a good time with them.”  
Raju gulped.  
“Hello?”  
“Fine! You got me. I make friends with those drug junkies, but honestly, I don’t take lots of drugs.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean…err…”  
“C’mon, I don’t have much time. Please don’t make me mad.” Burton wiped his face with his palm. “Tell me where Biron is, or_”  
“Biron should be in Mount Ebott!” cried Raju. “I don’t know anything else…although I was interested in him…”  
“You are soiled. Get yourself cleaned up, and then you can think again about talking to me or my family.”  
“Sorry, dude, but I only took coke a little bit_”  
“That’s all I need to hear. Now, we are through.”  
The phone call was terminated. Burton glanced towards his wife.  
“Oh, Burt,” cried Martha. “When will we get our dear Biron back?”  
Burton sighed. “The question is not ‘when’.” He paused for a moment to recollect his emotions. “It’s ‘how’.”  
Martha’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”  
“No one seems keen to save him.”  
The wife cried even more. Burton held her shoulder tight.   
“Listen, Martha,” he told his wife. “Look at me. Look at me!”  
Martha obediently followed her husband’s order. “Y-yes, I am looking n-n-now…”  
“It does not matter what the police, or the firemen, or other people think,” he said. “Biron is ours, and he still is. And I believe for a fact, that he’s still out there, longing to come home.”  
“I-I…”  
“What is it, dear?”  
“I’m afraid if he…he’s…d_”  
Burton pointed his index finger vertically in front of his mouth. “Don’t ever say that.” He kept his fingers down. “All you have to do is believe. If I believe, you should believe. Little Margaret believes, and so should you.”   
“H-h-how do I believe?”  
Burton took a moment to catch his breath. “To tell you the truth,” he said softly, “I have been there.”  
“Mount Ebott?”  
“Yes, dear. But back then, it was not just me. I went there with my best friend, and along the way, we came across a large cave. If I am to tell you the story of the cave, it’s gonna take forever_”  
“It’s okay,” Martha assured. “Just…tell me what you know.”  
“There’s a hole in the cave,” Burton said. He estimated the width of the hole with his hands.  
Martha became petrified. “That means that our Biron, h-h-he’s…he’s down there_”  
Burton nodded slowly. “Most probably,” he said.  
Martha cried again, but Burton tried his best to assure her that things would be all right; that things would return to normal; that Biron is a brave soul that knows how to find his way back.   
A fuse lit in the father’s head. He returned to his feet, and then took his phone out. A few clicks on the phone’s virtual keypad, and the line beeped.  
“Who is that?” Martha asked.  
The phone was still beeping with no response. “It’s a friend of mine.” Burton gave an unconvincing look. “Although, I don’t think that he_”  
Then came a response. “Hello?”  
“Hello,” Burton replied. “Is that you on the line, Claude?”  
“Yes.”  
“Good...”  
“What is going on?”  
Burton sighed. “We’re in the middle of a situation, and right now, I don’t have much of a choice…”  
The recipient nodded. “Go on,” he replied. “I’m interested to hear.”  
***

THE END...

 

FOR NOW.  
TO BE CONTINUED in the constraints of space and time.


End file.
